


Seven Years

by Medusa01



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Bigotry & Prejudice, Dating, F/F, F/M, Friendship, LGBTQ Female Character, Magic, Original Mythology, Romance, School, Slow Burn, Spoilers, Supernatural Elements, Teenagers, amberprice, canon inspired, chasefield, pricefield, somewhat canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-03 15:42:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14572230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medusa01/pseuds/Medusa01
Summary: Max Caulfield attends Blackwell Academy - a school for witches and wizards in the Pacific region of North America. There, she learns how to master her magic as well as understand the secrets of the wizarding world. Oh, and try to have a normal teenage life. But with every passing year, her powers become more out of control as time never seems right around her. With the school always having some catastrophe to prevent, it would be nice if Max's personal life could at least be easy.* School has four original houses with different animals/colors* Loosely follows certain plot points in the canon of LiS and BtS





	1. Prologue

“Time is a fickle thing…”

While I take a second to smile at my own joke, I hear a voice from the back of the room sigh and see a professor rolling her eyes.

“And some things never change!” I reply loudly and sarcastically. She shakes her head and chuckles softly.

     The group of students between us start laughing. I remember when I was their age, beginning my time here. I stare off, looking outside the window. The skies were cloudy and grey, like how they looked my first day. Even now, those memories are still clear. Twenty-seven years ago, I was starting my first day at Blackwell Academy – a place that would become more than just a school. I remember what my parents told me when they dropped me off that day. _The Caulfields are one of the most powerful magic families on the West Coast,_ my mother would say. _So, no pressure on bringing our entire family to shame if you fail, kiddo,_ my dad shouted as they drove away in the old-fashioned No-Maj car he insisted on having. I can still hear my mother slap his shoulder and his boisterous laugh fading as I stood in front of a dilapidated building that-

     A cough brings me back to the present. The professor’s eyes are staring right through me and raises her eyebrow in a way that still sends shivers down my spine. I can feel my cheeks start to flush, my eyes growing wide as I remember that I’m standing in front of a group of twenty kids around 11 and 12. All are so eager to begin their magical training. _Right. Kids. Okay._ “Like I said, time is fickle, and your time here at Blackwell will be over before I know it,” I joke cheerfully.

     A young girl in the front giggles while a group of kids behind her start sneering. “… _bet all the Mudbloods die before the month is over_...” I make eye contact with the professor in the back. She frowns in shame until I smile softly, and she nods in return. Parents vomiting their bigoted hatred. Like I said, some things never change.

     “Now, the most important thing I can tell you is this.” I begin to pace around the students. They look at me as if I am about to tell them the secret to time. As if I know. “Some of you may come from wizarding families that go back to the beginning of magic itself, and others have brought the beginning of magic to their families!” I notice the students share looks, ranging from annoyed to anxious, before I stop to face the wall behind me.

     I give a second to build suspense before shouting. “None of that matters!” I hear a collective gasp, and I take this time to turn around. The professor in the back is smiling and rolling her eyes. I can her voice in my head. _Wow, Lamefield, don’t be dramatic or anything._ I continue with my welcoming speech. “For a great wizard is not measured by where they come from or what their talents are, but from the choices they make.”

     “Enough of that,” Victoria finally speaks up from the back of the room. She proceeds to walk to the front, not expecting the students to get out of her way, but knowing they will. They do. The high heels she wore click on the tile floor of the lobby, only making the silence more deafening. Her robes flow behind her like she’s a model at a fashion show and reveal her outfit perfectly. Victoria wears a tight black pencil skirt and a white blouse to accentuate the accessories that represent her house. Her hair is the same as it ever was: stylish, short, and blonde. Although, I know she hides her grey with magic. When she reaches the front, I move out of her way as quickly as possible. Tori commands a room better than anyone I’ve ever known, and I’m not about to get in her way.

     “You are about to be sorted into your houses, so I will briefly go over their names and traits. Some of you may already know this, but I don’t care,” she scoffs while staring directly at the students who were already rolling their eyes. “You will listen and maybe learn something your conceited parents don’t understand. I expect you to remember as I will not be repeating myself.” The students go silent, some from fear and others looking at her with admiration.

     Victoria takes out of her wand to create a visual for the students. Wisps of magic come out of the wand while she speaks. “The houses of Blackwell Academy aren’t like other wizarding schools with houses representing one trait, as if we are limited to just one thing. The traits and respected animals represent two things to show that we are complex individuals.”

     A pair of animals start to take form from Victoria’s wand. “The first house is Luteus. That’s LU-tee-us. With the colors of gold and green, the animals to represent your house would be a deer and an otter.” A gold otter and green deer begin to circle around each other. “This house represents wizards who value those they love with a sense of curiosity and creativity.”

     More visuals eek out of Victoria’s wand. “The second house is Scirpius. To pronounce that again that’s SKEER-pee-us. Your house is represented by the squirrel and rabbit. With the colors of yellow and white, the traits of Scirpius revolve around being comforting and practical.” A yellow squirrel and white rabbit hop around each other. A group of students in the back giggle at the image, and I smile at the innocence of youth.

     Victoria eyes the laughing students, almost about to call them out before I lightly touch her elbow. She tenses for a moment before easing up. I form the words in my mind, letting Victoria be free to read them. _You laughed during this part, too, if I recall._ I can see into her thoughts as well. _If **I** recall, I was laughing at you, Dorkfield. _We both smile before Victoria keeps going.

     “The third house, Baltris, that’s Bal-triz, is the house of the whale and the shark.” A great white shark and whale float above, and even Victoria can’t help but get lost in watching the images swim around each other. Like the inner child she forgets she still has. “With the colors of silver and red, those in the house of Baltris are known for their unbridled emotion as well as their shrewdness.” The shark turns red and the whale turns silver, while students begin to whisper to one another.

_“That’s the evil house, you don’t want to be in that one” “My parents were both in Baltris, so that’s what I’ll be!” “When can we get sorted?”_

     Victoria sternly coughs over the whispers. The students quiet at the sound. “The last house is Papvem. Pap-vem. Black and blue. The raven and the butterfly. For those who have a playful spirit yet still hold a mysterious soul.” Before she can continue, the doors to the right open, and fog spreads into the room. “The time has come,” Victoria declares. “Head through the door and your sorting shall begin.”

     “Remember,” I rush to say. “No house is better than the other, no house determinant of the type of wizard you’ll be. Good, evil, those things are shaped by the choices we make. Now head on in!” I smile at the fresh, new faces who begin to walk inside. Every year back teaching makes me feel like my time is starting all over again. Victoria leans closer toward me once the last of the students are gone to whisper in my ear.

“Your speech gets more sentimental every year, Maxine."

“And yours gets bitchier, Tori” I reply sarcastically before sticking my tongue out at her. She feigns surprise before pulling me in to kiss her. Twenty years and she still takes my breath away.

We break apart from our kiss to stare at each other before Victoria breaks away to head inside. “Come on, Caulfield. The sorting awaits.”

Yes. A sorting for a new era of wizards. Wizards who have a brand new adventure ahead of them - full of laughter, hardship, pain, and love. Seven years await them. Seven years of magic and learning and discovery. Hmm... Had it really been twenty-seven years since I walked through those same doors?

Time really is a fickle thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Reminder of the Blackwell Houses:
> 
> Houses are a mixture of animals from the Tobanga Totem and ones connected to LiS/BtS plot.
> 
> 1\. Luteus - Pronounced: LU-tee-us - Colors: Green/Gold - Animals: Otter/Deer  
> 2\. Scirpius – Pronounced: SKEER-pee-us - Colors: Yellow/White - Animals: Squirrel/Rabbit  
> 3\. Baltris – Pronounced: Ball-TRIZ - Colors: Red/Silver - Animals: Whale/Shark  
> 4\. Papvem - Pronounced: PAP-vem - Colors: Black/Blue - Animals: Raven/Butterfly
> 
> Next: Chapter 1 - Arriving at Blackwell
> 
> * Because the school would be located in North America, some of the terms are different than what would be in Hogwarts. For example, Muggles are called the No-Maj. *


	2. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Reminder of the Blackwell Houses:
> 
> Houses are a mixture of animals from the Tobanga Totem and ones connected to LiS/BtS plot.
> 
> 1\. Luteus - Pronounced: LU-tee-us - Colors: Green/Gold - Animals: Otter/Deer  
> 2\. Scirpius – Pronounced: SKEER-pee-us - Colors: Yellow/White - Animals: Squirrel/Rabbit  
> 3\. Baltris – Pronounced: Ball-TRIZ - Colors: Red/Silver - Animals: Whale/Shark  
> 4\. Papvem - Pronounced: PAP-vem - Colors: Black/Blue - Animals: Raven/Butterfly

The sky was completely covered with dark grey clouds, which was a strange sight for August in Oregon. Max shifted uncomfortably in the backseat of her parent’s car. Her father was bopping along to some Top 40 music on the radio while her mom was reading through important documents for her job. _Her magic job._ While dad happily worked as a mechanic in Arcadia Bay, her mom worked at the Department of No-Maj Misinformation for the government. _Well, the wizarding government I guess…_

Max was still unsure how that all worked. Up until her 11th birthday, Max thought her mom and dad were normal people – a mechanic and office worker with normal lives and normal jobs. They lived in Arcadia Bay in a normal house with normal neighbors and normal friends. But when Max turned 11 last year, that all changed.

_Mom points to the couch with a serious expression on her face. I give her a quizzical look while dad whistles and jerks his head to indicate I should take a seat. As I walk to sit down, I mouth the words to dad ‘what’s going on’ and he mouths back ‘you’re dying.’ I open my eyes wide, and I look to mom. “What’s going on? Am I really dying?”_

_My mom glares at dad, who pulls me toward the couch, laughing. “No, kiddo, just sit down, I promise it’s nothing bad. Well, maybe, guess depends on your definition of bad.” My mom rolls her eyes and then takes a deep breath. She gives me a small smile and sits next to me on the couch._

_Suddenly, a box appears in Mom’s lap out of thin air, and I nearly scream. She gently touches my arm before opening the box to reveal all sorts of weird stuff. There was a small ring that was glowing bright blue, a black blob of ooze that looked like it had a face, and… a twig._

_Mom picks up the twig, and some light shines off the end of it. “You’re a wizard, Maxine.”_

_“I’m a what?”_

_“WIIIIIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAARRRRRDDDD”_

_“Ryan, please,” Mom barked at him. She took a sigh and stared into my eyes. “Yes, you’re a wizard. The world of magic exists, and you are part of it. Just like your father and I---”_

“Alright back there, kiddo?”

Max nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay…” She realized she was still in the car on the way to Blackwell. It felt like she was still there on that couch, listening to her parents tell her for the first time all about the secret world of magic and wizardry that hid in plain sight of her. Hiding the magic realm from Max for eleven years… Her parents (more so Mom than Dad) felt she needed that knowledge of being a regular person without magic to understand the importance and power she possessed.

“Don’t space out, Maxine,” her mom scolded without even looking up from her papers. “If you can’t focus on when your dad asks you a question, your time at Blackwell will be extremely difficult.”

“Don’t be like your old man!” dad smiled, looking through the rearview mirror. He gave her a wink to encourage her, but she still wasn’t feeling too well. He gave her a sad look and mouthed the words ‘are you okay?’ and Max responded with a nod.

She was only half-lying. Ever since her birthday, mom was extremely tough on her. Dad had been great this past year. Since Max’s birthday was a month after school started, she had to wait a whole year before attending. Mom had pushed to get that rule overlooked, but the school wouldn’t allow it. That was fine with Max. It gave her time to prepare. Dad had brushed her up on all the history of Blackwell – the houses and colors, the animals, the rules of Quidditch, and how to sneak into the school pool without getting caught. Mom was more insistent on Max learning about her heritage. She came from a line of prestigious wizards – from her mom and dad’s side. _I just want to do well…_

“You’re going to do well, honey,” her mom said, finally looking up from her papers. _Jeez, can she read my mind?_ “You have great potential, and I know you’ll be great.”

The car finally started to slow down. Max put her face up to the car window and saw Blackwell Academy. It looked like an old run-down building: windows boarded, faded graffiti, buildings half crumbling down, an electric fence surrounding the property, and dead trees everywhere. That’s how it looked, though, and before last year, Max thought that was all it was, like anyone else in town. Now, Max knew it was just a protection image in place for the town. Arcadia Bay was now a No-Maj town, at least for the last 50 years, and the school had to keep itself a secret from anyone without magic finding out. Mom said that the best kept secret is the one hidden in plain sight. _I guess she’d know with her job and all._

Max’s dad opens the car door, while she takes a step onto the sidewalk in front. He goes to put her duffel bag next to her while her mom steps out and gives her one last look-over, making sure Max looks perfect. “Now, remember, even though we live in town, we won’t see you until Christmas break. Don’t worry, your dad and I will send you plenty of letters.” She smiled at Max and patted her head. “You’re going to be amazing, sweetheart, and if it feels like I’m hard on you, it’s because I know you will be a great wizard. I love you so much.”

Before her mom can walk away, Max holds onto her one last time, giving her a giant hug before she can step away. “I love you, mom… I’ll miss you.” Her dad fakes a sniffle, and she sticks her tongue out at him. “Maybe not you, dad.”

“I’m sorry, who is this DAD, I don’t have a daughter apparently,” he cries sarcastically before Max laughs and jumps to give him a hug. He chuckles and holds her tight. “I’ll miss ya, kiddo. I love you. Now go on, have fun, get sorted. And remember: anything but Baltris!”

Her mom scoffs before getting into the passenger seat of the car. “Now, remember Maxine, the Caulfields are one of the most powerful magic families on the West Coast---”

“So, no pressure on bringing our entire family to shame if you fail, kiddo! See you at Christmas!”  Her dad hops into the driver’s side door while her mom slaps him on the shoulder. The car begins to drive away, and she listens to the sounds of her dad’s laughter fade.

Max picks up the duffel bag that holds most of her belongings. Mom had used a simple spell to pack in everything she’d need into one case. She knew once she stepped onto campus, security would examine and return it once the Sorting was over. Mom explained it’s because past students had brought in things of the dark arts to infiltrate the school and cause major catastrophes. _Like I’d even know what one of those things look like_.

Max held onto the bag’s strap and stared at the entrance gate. She had walked past Blackwell lots of time, stared at the gate, and always wanted to go inside. Well… Chloe always wanted to go inside, and Max just was along for the ride. _I wish I could tell Chloe all about this._ Mom had made it clear that under no circumstance could she tell any No-Maj about her abilities, even though Chloe spent most of the year at a STEM school in Portland. Max had to go to their boring school for the last two years alone with her boring classmates. _No one could storm up trouble like Chloe._

Whenever Max visited Joyce at the Two Whales, they would talk about how Chloe was doing. Apparently, the same as always, but at least learning a lot. Joyce would let Max read over some of the e-mails and letters Chloe sent to her as sometimes she wrote things specifically for Max. Max snickered thinking about all the pranks Chloe was pulling on some of the upperclassmen. _Stink bomb beakers, ha, classic…_

Max and Chloe spent all summer together, causing trouble as the no-good pirates they were. It killed Max that she couldn’t tell Chloe all that she learned the past year. _Yeah, yeah, you study the elements, but I learned I can blow stuff up with a wand!_ But the ‘no-telling-the-No-Maj-even-when-they’re-your-best-friend’ rule ruined that… Which sucks. And Chloe’s school finally was letting her visit Arcadia Bay on the weekends this year! _Just when I could have spent all the time with her, too…_ Max had to tell Chloe that she was going to be transferring to a private arts school in Seattle. Chloe’s face was so broken when she heard that. It’s like the universe is keeping up apart on purpose. _Maybe if I ran away, I couldn’t get sorted and wouldn’t be able to go and--_

“You know it’s not going to get any less scary”

Max nearly jumped out of her skin and dropped her bag. She looked around and saw a young girl to her left, staring at her. She had a raised eyebrow and a look of judgment. The girl was young and cute, but also looked slightly terrifying. Her short, natural blonde hair was styled to perfection. _How old does she think she is? And how rich is she?_ Max noticed the girl was wearing expensive clothes – fashionable black skirt, white blouse with a pair of Mary Jane heels. _Heels!?_ But Max noticed the girl was wearing a black robe, too. _A Blackwell robe…_ With no color or emblem attached. _She must be new, too._

“Sorry,” Max mumbled as she picked her bag up. “This is just all new for me.”

“Oh...” Her body posture grew tense as she took a step back. _Is she scared of me?_  “You’re No-Maj born?”

“No!” Max shouted a little too loud and too quickly. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” The blonde girl seemed to ease and relax. Max felt there was more to it than superiority. Although, there was a sense of that. _Maybe she just doesn’t know anyone either._ Max contemplated telling this girl what she was really thinking. Mom had said that she should make friends as soon as possible. Maybe this girl could be her friend? Max took a deep breath and decided to give it a try. _Ugggh… I hope she’s nice._  “My family kept it a secret from me until my birthday last year. So, I’ve been learning all this stuff. It is a bit scary, but only because of the family pressure.” _Your name. Don’t forget to say your name._ “Oh, I’m Max.”

“Victoria Chase.” She promptly held out her hand to shake. “Is ‘Max’ short for something or do you really only have that as your name?” Max caught glimpse of a tiny smile, nothing more than a little smirk really.

“Oh, it’s Maxine Caulfield, but I really don’t—”

“You’re a Caulfield!?” Victoria’s mouth dropped and her posture straightened. _Mom wasn’t kidding. Caulfields really are something, I guess._ Victoria shut her eyes and took a deep sigh. Her mannerisms completely changed, looking like she was ashamed and embarrassed.  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry for,” Max said sympathetically. “Really, I told you my parents didn’t tell me about magic till, like, 11 months ago. I have no idea what the big deal about me is.” Victoria opened her eyes, and there was something there. A look that made Max feel warm and fuzzy inside. _Woah. Err. Keep talking._ “Anyway, just treat me like you’d treat anyone else. I just want to be normal.”

Victoria raised her eyebrow again and took a long pause before nodding her head in agreement. “Alright…. Maxine.” She smirked again before taking a deep breath and stared up into the clouds. “You know, I know a lot about family pressure myself. Since you don’t seem to know anything, the Chase family is well-known, too…” Victoria lost all expression in her face as she kept staring above. “Honestly, you’re one of the only people who hasn’t tried to suck up to me, and Blackwell won’t be any different. You’ll see what I mean when you go in there.”

“Well, at least we won’t treat each other any differently. We can be normal friends.” Max grinned and held out her hand to shake. “You can just be Victoria, and I can just be Max. Never Maxine.”

“I don’t know, I kind of like Maxine better,” Victoria said with a small smile, almost as if she was teasing Max. Max felt her heart beating faster. _Does that mean she wants to be friends?_ Victoria takes her hand, and they shake on it.

For a second, Max sees a bright light as flashes of images appear before her.

_“You mudblood punk trash!”_

_“I hate you, Max! I hate you!”_

_“Get away!”_

_“I love you no matter what.”_

_“I’ve seen this before.”_

_“More sentimental every year, Maxine.”_

“Um, you’re spacing out, didn’t you hear me say okay?”

Max shakes her head. _What was THAT?_ “Um, yeah, I’m fine, just… just still a bit scared.” She let Victoria’s hand go and looked at the gate to Blackwell. “Sorry, I don’t know why I just—"

The sound of someone falling over broke the conversation. Max and Victoria turned to see a girl with chestnut hair tied in a bun. Sitting on the ground, she was holding onto her scraped knee and crying. Max noticed a necklace on the ground. Broken. Victoria took a step backward, almost as if she was scared by the new presence. Max took it upon herself to help. 

“Hey, hey, are you okay?” Max spoke softly as she picked up the necklace. It was a cross necklace, but it was only bent a little. “Here’s your necklace. It’s okay. I’m sure we can get you fixed up.”

“It’s not okay! Th-this is just too much!” The girl sobbed. “I was on my way to my new school, and I can’t tell my parents about it because they wouldn’t want me going, so they think I’m going to a private Christian school far away, but I just want to go home!” She started crying louder and started mumbling in a way Max couldn’t figure out what she was saying. _This is way too much for an 11-year-old…_

Victoria tapped Max on the shoulder and brought her out of her thoughts. “I think she’s No-Maj born” Victoria whispered. Max turned and noticed the girl was still crying on the ground. “Maybe if you talk to her about you, she might feel better.” Max nodded in agreement. Sure, she was technically pureblood, but she sort of knew how it felt, not to know anything about magic. Except this girl had no one to talk to. And Max had her parents to at least tutor her before school. _How long had this girl kept this secret?_

“You’re going to Blackwell, right?” Max asked and the girl looked up at her in shock. She nodded her head before staring back at the ground. “I’m sorry you can’t tell your parents,” Max apologized as she sat on the sidewalk with her. “I didn’t know I had magic till 11 months ago, too. It’s scary. I’m sure it’s not easy for you. You come from a religious family, I guess.” Max tried handing her necklace back to her. “I’m Max by the way. What’s your name?”

The girl looked at Max. “It’s Kate. And yeah, if they knew I was a witch going to a magic school, they’d sent a witch hunt after me.” The girl eyed Max for a second before taking back the necklace and fixing it around her neck again.

“Don’t worry,” Max assured her. “There’s nothing wrong with being religious, but if you’re worried about your safety because of your parents, the school does their best to make sure no one finds out about the magic world. My mom works to make sure anyone who sees magic gets told wrong information. And she’s really good at it.”

“It’s true, her mom is well-known for what she does,” Victoria chimes in and Max looks to her, thankful for her support. “Plus, no offense, the No-Maj are pretty stupid.”

“Err, what she means is that sometimes the best kept secret is the one right in front of us,” Max tried to say to comfort Kate. “And don’t worry. I’ll make sure to watch out for you, too!”

“Thanks, Max,” she sniffled as she took a Band-Aid out of her bag to put it over her knee.

“Wait,” Victoria sighed, sounding annoyed by it all. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Kate’s knee. “This will clean up the blood at least. Tergeo!” Max noticed the blood vanish from Kate’s knee. She and Kate blinked their eyes in astonishment. “Don’t look too impressed. It’s just a basic cleaning spell.... and I’m Victoria.” There was a moment of silence before Victoria grumbled. “Are we ready to go?”

Max looked at Kate who seemed taken back by the spell. Sure, it was a simple spell to Victoria, but Max wondered if anyone ever showed Kate any magic before. This would be a whole new experience for Kate, well for all of them really. Kate eventually smiled, put the Band-Aid over her scrape, and nodded at Max. “Okay, I’m okay.”

“And I’m not scared anymore since I have two new friends” Max smiled wide at Kate and Victoria. Kate returned with a light giggle while Victoria looked at her deadpan, except for the tiny nod and smirk she let escape. “Now, let’s go on in and get sorted! And as my dad said, anything but Baltris.”

The three girls held onto their bags and walked straight through the gate barrier. It was like walking through a wall of jelly. Before Max could feel like she was stuck, they made it to the other side. _Glad Chloe and I never tried to do that._

“What’s wrong with Baltris?” Victoria huffed angerly once they were through the barrier. “My whole family was sorted into Baltris. What does your dad have against Baltris?” 

“It’s my mom’s house!” Max laughed in the same boisterous laugh her dad had made earlier. “And it’s a joke. But you should have seen how angry you got!”

Victoria’s face turned red from anger, then pink from embarrassment, and finally turning back to normal as she smiled and laughed wholeheartedly. When she realized she was laughing, Victoria froze and glared at Max. “Very funny. I hope you get sorted into Baltris for that, _Maxine._ ”

Kate sighed. “I have no idea what either of you are talking about.”

Max chuckled while Victoria rolled her eyes, hiding the small grin on her face, as the three of them approached security. While checking her bag, Max couldn’t help but think how only a short while ago, she was worried about not having anyone at school. Now, she had people she could be friends with at a place that would be her home for seven years. _Welcome to Blackwell._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max Caulfield - Pureblood  
> Victoria Chase - Pureblood  
> Kate Marsh - No Maj (Muggleborn)
> 
> Next Chapter: The Sorting!


	3. Year One: The Sorting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad you're all enjoying the concept! I just want to keep the reminder of houses for a couple of the first chapters until it settles in:
> 
> 1\. Luteus - Pronounced: LU-tee-us - Colors: Green/Gold - Animals: Otter/Deer  
> 2\. Scirpius – Pronounced: SKEER-pee-us - Colors: Yellow/White - Animals: Squirrel/Rabbit  
> 3\. Baltris – Pronounced: Ball-TRIZ - Colors: Red/Silver - Animals: Whale/Shark  
> 4\. Papvem - Pronounced: PAP-vem - Colors: Black/Blue - Animals: Raven/Butterfly
> 
> Enjoy the sorting!

Victoria was done.

She wasn’t sure exactly **_why_** the students had to be crammed into the small lobby to listen to a couple of bitter old hags rattle on and on about being a wizard and the history of the houses. It’s not like they were going over anything important. Just typical dribble old people think is important. _Kill me if I ever should do this._

Although, it was kind of charming watching Maxine be completely enraptured at the display – charming in a preciously dumb sort of way. It was all rather strange really. Her father had been caught up the past year making sure Victoria would stand a chance against the only child of Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield. Victoria’s father would lecture her for hours on how to be a better wizard than the Caulfield’s daughter could ever be. The magical talent of Maxine’s family was known throughout the West Coast: her father was the great-grandson of one of the founding members of Blackwell, and her mother, grand-daughter of Vinda Rosier, was rising to the top of Magical Congress.

 _And now their daughter is saying ‘wowzer’ to a wispy bunny jumping over a squirrel._ Victoria started to chuckle because it was ridiculous how… scared she had been to interact with this girl. 

“No laughing!” cried the old crone up front in the Papvem robes. “Pay attention, please.” Victoria scoffed at the woman while rolling her eyes. _Playful house, yeah right._

“What’s funny?” Maxine whispered while poking Victoria on the shoulder. “Did I miss something?”

“I just can’t believe you’re in awe of this stupid magic trick,” Victoria replied in hushed tones with a smirk on her face. “This is stuff my nanny did when she sang me to sleep as a baby.”

Victoria expected Maxine to get angry or feel embarrassed. Instead, Maxine had this concerned look on her face, almost… sad. She gave Victoria direct eye-contact with her stupid, bright, sparkling blue eyes. _Err… okay. She’s doing that spacing out thing again. This better not be a habit of hers._ “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Sorry, I just… your mom didn’t sing you to sleep?”

Victoria felt like time froze. She couldn’t breathe, heart beating too fast. Her eyes grew wide as she sneered. Victoria wanted to slap Maxine right in her stupid freckled face. How dare she ask that! No one in the magical community would **_dare_** ask anyone of the Chase family that. The anger boiling inside her was unfathomable. Victoria glared at Maxine with as much spite as she could possibly send someone. Victoria’s body began shaking as she tried to control her temper.

But then, when Maxine started to look scared, Victoria realized it. … _She doesn’t know…_ God, did her parents tell her **_nothing_**? Did they just sit her down, tell her she was a wizard, and say good luck? What were they thinking, not teaching her proper etiquette and history on magical families before sending her to Blackwell? For being two of the most powerful wizards, they are turning out to be two of the dumbest people she had ever heard of. Everyone on the West Coast knew the story. Everyone knew it was something you do not talk about. Maybe that’s why they didn’t tell Maxine. Maybe they wanted to get Maxine to get into trouble, test her, and show how much better she was. Or maybe they were just that stupid.

“She… left once I was born,” Victoria said solemnly. All emotion left her face. Her mother was the one thing that angered her more than anything. “She left, but now she’s dead.”

Victoria couldn’t have been more shocked than when Maxine grabbed her hand. She looked down and stared at it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know-”

“If you two witches don’t stop talking, I’ll be forced to take away points from you before you’re even sorted!” the other old crone shouted right at the two of them.

Victoria and Maxine both turned pink from embarrassment. They dropped their hands and took a step away from each other. Victoria took a sigh and tried to keep herself completely still. _Don’t be emotional. Don’t be emotional._ She stared forward to watch the remainder of the demonstration.

“I am so sorry” Maxine had shuffled back next to her and whispered right into her ear. “I didn’t know, I shouldn’t have--”

“It’s fine… I’ll... I’ll explain it later,” Victoria replied with a somber expression. Maxine nodded in response and both watch the remainder of the speeches.

“Now, all of you, head into the foyer where you will wait for the headmaster to call you in for the Sorting. I expect you all to remain quiet,” one of the old witches ended.

The students began to walk single file into the even smaller foyer between the lobby and the Main Hall. Victoria fought her way to the front of the line. No one was going to see her lose it right now. The doors shut behind them, and Victoria noticed the room beginning to fill with fog. _How tacky._ Her eyes rolled despite how much she felt like being a complete emotionless shell of a person right now. That was the thing about all the other students. They’d know better than talk to her about personal matters. Not Maxine.

“Oh my gosh!” a girl a few students behind her squealed. “Are you Victoria Chase!?! I can’t believe a Chase is here! You look so stunning. I bet you’re going to be the best student at Blackwell. I hope we’re sorted into the same house!”

_I can’t deal with this right now._

Victoria turned sharply to face her. “And I hope you turn into a Squib!” Victoria delivered her best devilish smile. “Because, Merlin-willing, you don’t kill us by sucking up all the air in this already claustrophobic inducing room with your insipid nagging, I will surely take it upon myself to make all the time you are at Blackwell a living hell. And I say all the time you are here, because I guarantee you won’t last a month.”

Victoria took one last glance at the girl, who was left sobbing loudly, before turning back to her place in line. Victoria had been around enough people to know that as a Chase, she would have people wanting to be ‘friends’ with her. All of them only ever wanted to be close in hopes that some of her social graces would fall onto them. None of them cared about who she was or how she felt.

And then Victoria felt someone from behind reach out and grab her hand.

Victoria kept staring forward so no one see her and smiled.

_Not all of them, I guess…_

* * *

 

“Its gonna blow! Take cover!”

A chorus of screams shouted out as plates full of scrambled eggs began exploding across the hall. Chloe Price quietly took her seat at the table, humming to herself while other students stared in wonder at the sight to witness. The explosion was coming from the table of Baltris students, who literally had egg all over their faces. Chloe snickered to herself as she began to eat her pancakes. _Score one for the Captain._

“Miss Price!” a stern voice shouted from the table of professors at the front of the room. _Dammit. Busted._ It was Mr. Keaton, head of Baltris. “Don’t pretend like I don’t know that was you. Ten points from Papvem!” 

The students surrounding her started grumbling. _Pfft, whatever._ They were all just butthurt to be starting off with negative points, but Chloe didn’t care. The year is starting and the war between Papvem and Baltris was already underway. None of the professors saw the crap Baltris had already tried to pull on her. On her way to the Sorting breakfast, Drew North had cast the Knockback Jinx on her, and she fell right into a puddle. With mud! And then she was late to this stupid breakfast. Of course, when Chloe said something to the security guard, he was going to put her in detention for even talking to him! _Stupid squib wouldn’t know a freaking spell if it hit him right in the face._

“Mind if I sit here?”

Before Chloe can answer, a boy sat down across from her. _Oh great. Just what I need._ Eliot Hampden – the guy who had a crush on her since forever. Can’t he take a hint? It wasn’t that Eliot was bad or anything. He was a nice guy, except for the fact he’s wanted to ask Chloe out for two years. This was the start of Chloe’s third year at Black **hell** Academy. Eliot was starting his fifth. Although, he made it very clear he was only a year and a half older than her. Chloe couldn’t do much to him without messing up the points of her own house, as she and Eliot were both in Papvem. How the hell he was in Papvem was beyond her, but eh, can’t question the Totem.

“Doesn’t seem like you care for my answer, Eliot,” Chloe responded before taking a huge bite from her pancakes. She didn’t care to _not_ eat while talking in front of him, hoping to scare him away. “What’dya want?”

Eliot sighed and tried to stare into Chloe’s eyes, but she wasn’t letting him. “Welcome back to you, Chloe. I was hoping you’d want to say hi to me, since we’re friends and all.”

Chloe sighed. She did have to say that Eliot was, unfortunately, one of the only people at **Dumb** well that she could stand being around. He was there for her when she showed up first year, unaware of anything to do with magic. Eliot tutored her to understand wizardry and even helped her figure out how to make her parents not suspicious of her magic. “I’m sorry, Eliot. What’s been going on?”

Eliot smiled before chuckling to himself. “No need to say sorry. I’m the one person you can depend on here, don’t worry.” Chloe admitted there was some truth to that. Sure, she had friends in other houses, but Eliot had helped her out in a way no one else had when she first got there. “Did you see that I’m the new prefect for Papvem?”

Chloe looked up to see the badge pinned onto his robes. _Of course. Eliot **would** be made the house hall monitor._ Although, he had been preparing for it all last year. Chloe remembered all the talking about it he did. Eliot was trying to become Prefect, then Head Boy, and was looking to become Captain of the Quidditch team this year. Something about working toward being Headmaster someday. “Well, hey congratulations, Eliot. I know you really wanted it.”

“Yeah, it sure was one of the best gifts I’ve gotten today.”

Chloe looked at him inquisitively. “Who else is giving you presents?” She snickered and whispered in a low tone. “I know you think just because you and that Luteus girl, Steph, have Potions together that means you have chemistry, but I have some news for you-”

 “Chloe, don’t you know what today is?” Eliot whined exasperatedly. He looked like a toddler having his favorite toy taken away. _This guy’s our prefect, sheesh. And your only friend at Dumbhell, Captain, looking **good** for you_.

Chloe decided to ignore his temper tantrum and kept eating away at her pancakes. “Um, August 10th, Sorting Day and all that boring bla bla bla bla bla?”

Eliot grew a stern, annoyed look on his face. “Also known as my birthday, Chloe.”

 _Crap._ Chloe sighed before putting her fork down. Eliot deserved a better friend. She remembered how he excited he was the past two years for his birthday, going on how he lucked out his birthday was on the cutoff to be let in for the year. “Right, sorry, happy birthday. Did you get anything special?”

Eliot smiled and reached to hold Chloe’s hand. _What the…_ “It’s okay, I just want you to be as excited as I am. See, my parents and I celebrated last night as always. We had a small thing this morning before I came back, and they surprised me with these.” He held out what looked like concert tickets.

_Two tickets._

Chloe noticed Eliot take a deep breath, trying to hide his shaking. _Oh no. Please don’t ask me to go. Please don’t ask me to go_. “My parents got me tickets to see this band Dorothy Twister for tomorrow night in Arcadia Bay... And since you’re a third year and can go off campus now, I was hoping you’d come with me… On a date.”

_Shit. Damn. Shit. Damn damn damn shit damn._

Chloe felt like the hall had shrunk to the size of a closet. There she was, trapped in a room with Eliot, forced to finally confront his advances. His hand had grown sweaty and was holding onto her tightly, refusing to let her go. This was the first time Eliot had officially asked her out, probably waiting till she could go off campus. Chloe could hear her heartbeat pounding in her head. _What do I do? Why is this happening? What do I say?_ “Oh, well, Eliot, that’s nice but-”

“She already has plans!”

Chloe’s head spun around fast. That’s when she saw her: a girl, roughly around her age, with dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a bright shining smile. _Woah_. Chloe couldn’t stop staring, and the girl took the chance to give her a wink before sitting next to Chloe.

“Who are you?” Eliot asked in anger and jealousy, as if he owned Chloe. She put off questioning why Eliot thought Chloe was his property but she was wondering the same thing: _who is this girl?_

Chloe had never seen her before, although she could have just been a student from another house. _But she’s wearing Papvem robes_. Chloe would have seen her before in the common room. _But the noobs haven’t been sorted yet…_

“Oh, I’m just Rachel Amber, latest transfer into Papvem.” Rachel kept looking at Eliot, challenging him to keep questioning her. Her smile was sweet as candy, but her eyes were deadly as daggers. “And sorry, this girl has plans already to show me around Arcadia Bay this weekend, me being new and all. Now, why don’t you be a ‘nice guy’ and leave us to plan?” Rachel then reached for the hand of Chloe’s that Eliot had been holding onto. Rachel wrapped her fingers around Chloe’s and kissed them lightly with a smile. _Probably just to piss Eliot off._  

And it worked. Eliot’s nostrils flared as he puffed out his chest out. Chloe snickered to herself at how stupid he looked. She saw his hand ball into a fist and shake. _Jesus, Eliot, relax_. Before Chloe could yell at him for getting angry, Eliot took a deep breath and seemed to have calm down a bit. He looked down at her. “Is it true, Chloe?”

“A promise is a promise, Eliot” Chloe sighed dramatically while shaking her head. “And what kind of wizard would I be if I didn’t uphold my promises?”

Eliot nodded his head in agreement to her sense of nobility. _HA!_ He slowly stood up, hoping Chloe would change her mind. The awkward silence was getting too much for him, though. “I’ll see you later in the common room then.” Eliot takes one last moment to glare at Rachel. “Both of you.” With that, Eliot walked to the other end of the Papvem table.

“Well that was fun,” Rachel chuckled to herself and let go of Chloe’s hand. “Sorry I stepped in. He just seemed like he wasn’t taking the hint, and I could see the fear in your eyes from across the room.”

Chloe gave Rachel a large grin. “Nah, don’t apologize, I had no idea how to turn him down.” Before offering for a handshake, Chloe wiped her Eliot-sweaty hands onto her robe. “Real intro, I’m Chloe Price. And you’re Rachel, right? You said you transferred?”

Rachel shook her hand and chuckled quietly, ignoring the question. Rachel took the time to fix a strand of hair that was in her face and curl it behind her ear. When she did, Chloe could smell a soft scent of the ocean and... ash? _Strange. Must be her perfume._ When Chloe was done being distracted, she noticed Rachel took a bite of pancake that Chloe had left on her plate. “Hey!”

“You blew up the eggs, and you owe me,” Rachel replied matter-of-factly. “To answer your question, my parents moved us to Arcadia Bay this summer. I was going to Ilvermorny, but my parents wanted me in the same town. Dad pulled some strings aka money and worked things out for me to start this year.”

“And you’re in Papvem? What were you before?”

“Thunderbird…” Rachel said with a somber look on her face. _Hmm…_ There had to be more than what she was telling Chloe, though. Students transferring magic schools was near impossible. In fact, Chloe was sure it **was** impossible. Besides, from what the word on the street was, Black **hell** was having money problems. Chloe decided she’d let it go for now. Rachel had secrets, and Chloe wasn’t going to pry. _I have mine, too._

Rachel shook her head and seemed to be cheerful again. “The people there were a little too uppity for me. Seems the people are better here,” Rachel took another bite of Chloe’s pancakes. “Foods better too.”

Chloe nabbed the fork from Rachel before she kept eating all her breakfast. “Hey! Come on now!” Chloe wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about Rachel Amber. A little too playful and a little too mysterious. But Chloe did feel obligated since Rachel saved her from Eliot. “Well, I can really show you around Arcadia if you want. My mom works at a diner and makes way better food than this magically conjured stuff.”

“Well, alright, Chloe Price,” Rachel sighed. “You’ve worm me down. I suppose I can. But this food better be hella good.”

Chloe snorted. “.... Hella? What kind of crystal ash do they snort over there that you say hella?”

But Rachel was quicker than that. “This kind”. And with that she blew red powder all over Chloe’s face. Chloe started to feel her skin burn. 

“What the hell is that?! You don’t prank your own house!!! I’m gonna be itching all week!”

“Yeah from paprika, you loser,” Rachel laughed before flicking a crumb of food to Chloe’s face. It was then Chloe realized she didn’t burn or feel itchy at all. Feeling embarrassed and out-pranked, Chloe took the rest of the pancake and threw it at Rachel.

Before they could keep up their fun food fight, a loud bell began to ring in the Hall. The two chuckled and decided to put their ‘fight’ on hold for the moment. The room grew quiet. Chloe looked over to see Headmaster Wells stand up from the professor’s table. He wasn’t too old, but he did seem to be wearing robes a little too small. That or he gained some weight during summer. His hair was still dark brown, with a few patches of grey coming in. _Wonder how drunk he is right now._

“Welcome back, students,” his voice bellowed for everyone to hear. “Before we go our separate ways, we must begin the Sorting of the new students.” Wells signaled to his right as the Tobanga Totem began to appear in front of the students. Chloe tried to avoid snickering the name over and over. _Tobaaaaanga._  

“Now, let us be silent as the Tobanga Totem bestows the house selection of each student,” Wells finished his announcement. The Tobanga Totem began to light up, and the lights softly dimmed. Candles appeared overhead, creating a complete ritual ambiance.

Chloe remembered her sorting, crammed into a small lobby while some stuffy old professors yammered about the houses and being a wizard. And then being crammed into an even smaller room, full of fog that smelled like water and dirt. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for the hall doors to open. _And now another group of kids are stuck in there right now…_

Chloe heard the creaking of the hall doors open. Fog started filling the room as students began to walk down the aisle, single file. The main hall looked at the students, all eager to gain an upper hand in fighting for the House Cup. Apparently, some kids this year were part of some hoity-toity ‘pureblood’ family crap – the type of kids Chloe hated. They would always treat her like garbage, just because she was No-Maj born. Even though the school accepted all wizards, Chloe could tell that **Dumb** well was full of preppy wizards who didn’t really want ‘her kind’ there. She looked at the noobs, one by one. _Yep, that kid in the back is definitely an asshole. Blonde in the front? Asshole._

Chloe groaned, hoping this would get over-

_Wait._

Chloe looked at the group of students again. 

_That can’t be her. No, she can’t be here._

Chloe stood up to get a better look. Her heart stopped beating for a second as her face grew pale. She would have stayed standing if she wasn’t feeling her robe getting tugged.

Chloe plopped back on her seat with Rachel whispering in her ear. “Didn’t you see Wells giving you the evil eye? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Chloe was speechless. She couldn’t believe it. She also couldn’t stop smiling.

_Holy shit._

Max Caulfield was a fucking wizard.

* * *

  
Max looked around the foyer to see if she could spot Kate. When they had all piled into the lobby, the crowd had forced the group apart. Max had somehow managed to stick around Victoria, but then again, Victoria was tall and wouldn’t let anyone push her. Kate, on the other hand, was small and just getting use to the fact she was going to a school of magic.

Max felt bad for having to leave her. Especially after just saying that she’d stick by her side no matter what. When Max looked back, though, she could see Kate was near the end of the line. _Phew. She looks okay._ Luckily, they caught glimpse of each other. Max waved and mouthed “hi” for Kate to feel better. She seemed to, as Kate grew a big smile and waved back. It was so nice to have a friend already. _I hope we get sorted together._  

Then again, Max hoped she’d be sorted with both of her new friends. Max looked forward and saw Victoria still facing the door. She hadn’t moved an inch since the drama from the lobby and then that girl nagging for her attention. _Poor Victoria…_ She probably never had many real friends before now. Most people were probably just trying to get something out of her. It makes it hard to trust people when you can’t know their true intentions. Max had no idea how that could possibly feel. _And on top of that…_

Max shifted on her feet thinking about how Victoria must have felt, growing up without her mom. Max didn’t know the whole story. _I’m guessing it’s not good though_. Victoria looked like she was going to rip Max’s head off from being so hurt. It made Max feel a trouble of guilt for being so nosy about it. 

Before she could think for a second more, Max heard the creek of old hinges as the doors started to open. Fog poured out into the hall. The lights were dimmed with only candles lighting the way for the students. Max felt a cold breeze fill the foyer as if there were pressure trying to offset itself. She began to get a scent that smelled like the sea, rocks, ash, fresh grass, and.... eggs? 

Max noticed Victoria was moving swiftly into the hall, so Max took it upon herself to keep up the pace. The other students followed suite. Max could tell there were many eyes on them. She heard whispers from both sides as they went on through the aisle. She saw someone standing in her left peripheral but couldn’t catch them as she kept moving. Max did feel a familiar tingle on the back of her neck though. _Like eyes are staring right at me._

Max reached the end of the aisle where a long table lay in front of her. There seemed to be a few different people seated there, but the lighting was too dim to see any faces. 

“Welcome, first years, to Blackwell Academy,” a booming voice announced that sounded like it came from everywhere and nowhere. It was then Max noticed a bright light left of the table. Max felt it calling to her. It started to make the shape of a... a pole with four faces – ones that matched the Blackwell houses. _The Tobanga Totem…_

“The Tobanga Totem” the booming voice stated. “It will be determining the House you are sorted in. Whatever face lights up will determine your house. Do not fear if multiple faces light up. It may take a few minutes, but the Totem will decide one house for you. We give our choice to the Totem. It knows our past, present, and future. Once all students are sorted, you will go off to finish your orientation day. Let us begin.”

Max nodded in amazement. It was unbelievable to watch the ceremony take place – like a story that she can’t believe to be part of. _Is this for cereal happening? If this is a dream, don’t wake me up._

“First! Maxine Caulfield!”

 _Never mind. Wake me up. I don’t want to be first._ Max took a deep breath. It felt like the entire world was watching her, with the sounds of chirping students growing louder. Before Max began to walk, she felt someone squeeze her hand.

Victoria.

“… Good luck…”

Max nodded and stepped forward to face the Totem. The only sound was of her shoes pattering on the tile floor. She couldn’t even hear her own heartbeat. Max tried not to be scared, but something about this made her feel like she was being swallowed by a monster.

The room suddenly turned pitch black. No students, no professors, and no light from the Totem. _What… this shouldn’t be part of the sorting._ At least, not from the way her dad described it. The only thing that was supposed to happen was the Totem would shake and glow. But, nothing was glowing. Nothing was visible at all.

Despite the lack of difference in visual, Max decided to close her eyes for a second, hoping maybe it was just a momentary thing. Suddenly, a gust of wind hit her head on, making her ponytail toss and turn. Max could smell fresh air and felt leaves falling on her head. _Okay, count of three – I open my eyes. One... two... three…_

Her eyes opened and mouth dropped.

Max was still standing in front of the totem, except they weren’t in the Main Hall anymore. They were outside – surrounded by pine trees and rocks. The Totem stood atop a small hill for Max to look up and gaze into. It was then Max noticed she couldn’t hear a single sound. She saw birds flying in the air, squirrels running across the grass, and a deer running away from the Totem.

“You are a mystery, Maxine Caulfield”

Max looked around, trying to see if there was anyone around. She tried shouting to ask if someone was there, but she couldn’t even hear her own voice.

Max considered the Totem. _Am I cuckoo for cocoa puffs, or is the Totem talking?_

“Yes. It is I speaking to you.”

Max fell on her butt. She picked herself up and tried to figure out what was going on. _Wowzer… okay. Wait, you can hear my thoughts?_

“It is how I am communicating with you, yes.”

Max took a deep breath and went over what her dad had taught her about Blackwell.  _No one said you were going to talk._

“That’s because I never have before now”

_But why me?_

“Your future is clouded, Maxine.”

_It’s Max. And what do you mean?_

“I see into all aspects of time. And throughout it all, one thing is constant: you.”

Max tried to understand what the Totem meant by that. The sorting had just explained that the Totem could see your past, present, and future. So, it could see all of time, but why would Max constantly be there?

_Me? What does that even mean?_

“Max, a great wizard is determined by your choices. And every choice, every action, has consequences.”

_I don’t understand-_

“You will. In time.”

A light flashed and overpowered Max’s senses. She tried to block the flash with her arm, but it didn’t stop it from encompassing her entire being. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on what the Totem meant by that last comment.

When Max put down her arm, she realized she back in the Main Hall, standing in line waiting to be sorted.

_What... I don’t understand. Dad never told me this about Blackwell or the Totem or any sort of magical artifact worth-_

“First! Maxine Caulfield!”

Max was hesitant to move. She was still too confused. The whispers were getting louder. “Maxine, go!” Victoria turned to her and tilted her head toward the Totem. Max nodded in a spaced-out kind of way. She took small steps and stood again in front of the Totem. She waited for the cool breeze, for the lights to dim, for the surroundings to change. But nothing was happening.

That was until Max saw the Totem shake, and a face started to glow:

The Otter… Gold…

“Luteus!” 

Max heard cheers, and had trouble moving. 

“You may return to the end of the line, Maxine.”

Max felt like she was caught in a whirlwind while walking to the back of the line. She decided to just focus on her sorting. _Luteus... I hope mom and dad are okay with that._

“Victoria Chase!”

Max turned to watch quickly, eager to see what house her new friend got. She knew Victoria wanted to be sorted in Baltris, but Max kind of hoped they’d be in the same house.

She watched Victoria walk up to face the totem. Max could tell Victoria was standing tall and proud. Victoria was the type of person who would duel the Totem if she could, just to prove to everyone else that no one, even an ancient magical being, would be able to mess with her. _And she’d probably win, too… if she put her mind to it._

The Totem began to shake and a different face was glowing:

The Whale… Silver…

 “Baltris!” 

_Surprise._

Max rolled her eyes with a grin as one of the tables to the right of Max began shouting. _Everyone wants the Chase. Heh heh. Chasing a Chase._ It was then a table to Max’s left started to boo. With the lights still lightly dimmed, Max couldn’t tell which house it was. However, Max also remembered her dad saying that the only house that didn’t hate Baltris was Baltris. 

Victoria held a smug expression on her face as she made her way back to the end of the line. Max, despite not being sorted in the same house, was still happy for Victoria. “Congratulations, Victoria!”

“Oh please, my house was a given!” Victoria ran her fingers through her short hair, not wiping the smirk of her face. She chuckled to herself, proud of her sorting. “But... thank you, Maxine.” Victoria looked at Max with a genuine smile as more students began to line up behind them.

“I did wish we could have been sorted together,” Max whispered. “And are you ever going to call me Max?”

“You don’t look like a ‘Max’ to me,” Victoria teased. “And I wanted you to be in my house, too... although just to see you tell your dad you’re in Baltris.”

“We’ll still be friends, right?” Max asked seriously concerned that Victoria wouldn’t want to be friends with her anymore. Grant it, they have only known each other a couple hours. “I couldn’t forget the first person I met at Blackwell. Well, and to give you a nickname you don’t like... like... oh! How about Tori?”

Victoria gasped. “You wouldn’t dare call me, Tori.”

“Dare and done, Toooriii,” Max sneered while sticking it her tongue. Victoria responded by pouting and rolling her eyes, in which Max started to feel bad. She didn’t want to make Victoria feel bad. “Sorry, can we can still be friends?”

“Don’t worry yourself into the retro zone, Lamefield, of course we are,” Tori sighed exasperated. “And, hey, remind me to ask you something once orientation is over.”

Max nodded and turned around to watch the rest of the sorting.

“Kate Marsh!”

 _Alright! Kate’s up for sorting!_  The Totem shook and began to glow:

The Squirrel… White…

“Scirpius!”

Max started clapping along with the Scirpius table. That house would really benefit Kate, and it fit her perfectly. Kate gave Max a small wave as she went back to the end of the line, in which Max returned with a ‘thumbs up’.

Max listened intently to the other students being sorted. No other student had been sorted into Luteus, though. _I wonder why._

There was only one more sorting – a boy with scruffy brown hair. He was scrawny and short, already wearing a robe that seemed to be two sizes too large. He took small steps as he walked up to the Totem. It began to shake, and Max felt her head start to pound. She started to hear voices in her mind.

_“Everybody hates me”_

_“Stay away, you filthy Mudblood”_

_“Take the shot, son”_

_“I’m sorry, Victoria, I’m so sorry”_

“Baltris!”

Max woke up from the voices as the thunderous applause from Baltris rang through the Hall. She shook her head, trying to understand all the voices and things she had heard today. Max focused on not spacing out. She watched as the boy walked back to the end of the line. _He must be a prestigious pureblood kid_. Although, Max didn’t catch his name over the loud voices she heard.

Max turned around and tapped on Victoria’s shoulder, thinking she would know who he was. “Psst, Tori?”

Victoria groaned as she shook her head. “Please, don’t call me that, Maxine.”

“Who was that boy?”

Victoria gave her a side-eye and eyebrow raise. “Really? Your parents didn’t even tell you about him?”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but who is it?”

“Nathan Prescott - the only family more powerful than yours.”

It was at that moment the Totem began to glow all over. It shook so violently that the entire Hall seemed to shake. Before Max could worry, the Totem vanished before her eyes.

“This concludes the sorting ceremony!” Max noticed the lights were no longer dim. She finally saw who had been the announcer for the ceremony. Her dad had gone over the lists of professors at Blackwell, and the man speaking was none other than Headmaster Wells. Dad said that they went to school together, except Wells was a few years older than her parents. _Teaching seems to age you a lot, though._ “You will now join your house’s table for the remainder of the morning. Once finished, you shall follow your Prefects to receive your wand and robe – if you don’t have one already.”

Max remembered Victoria using her wand earlier that day. It must have been a gift from her father. Max’s parents had wanted to give her one, but she just wanted to be a normal Blackwell student – first wand on the first day. Max remembered the proud look on her mom’s face when she suggested it.

“Now, for the rest of the students, I expect you to behave. Since we have the weekend ahead of us this year, classes will start on Monday,” Wells explained while the students started shouting their excitement in an uproar. “Alright, alright. Just enjoy your day and have a good year.”

“Don’t forget to see me later, Maxine,” Victoria whispered with a sense of command in her voice. The Baltris students were calling her over to the table, and she was feeling the sense of urgency to leave.

“Sure, of course… Tori!” Max smirked with a raised eyebrow. _Two can play at this game._ “Have fun!”

Victoria glared at her for the nickname before sticking out her tongue at Max. She rolled her eyes one last time before walking over to the Baltris table. Max chuckled to herself before turning to the Luteus table. Before she headed over, she took one last look around to find Kate. She was standing in the middle of the aisle, holding onto her elbow.

Max decided it was best to talk to her before going to her table. “Kate, aren’t you excited?”

“I’m nervous, Max,” Kate sighed dishearteningly, eyeing the table of Scirpius students who were all quietly chatting with each other. “What if they don’t like me?”

“How could they not like you! You’re part of their house and a perfect fit!” Max tried soothing Kate’s concerns. “Look, I’ll make sure to see you later, too, once orientation is done. Maybe we can meet at dinner and have tea or something!”

“Okay, I’d like that very much,” Kate smiled sweetly. “Thank Max. You’ve been like my angel today.”

“Hey, it was nothing, I’m glad to help out a friend.” Kate and Max hugged before parting ways. Max waved goodbye and was glad to be having a pretty good day. _And to think I was going to run away!_

Max noticed the Luteus table was emptier compared to the other houses. Students must not be sorted into Luteus as much as the others. She saw a girl wearing a beanie looking right at her, waving her down near the front. Max awkwardly smiled and went over. _Okay, calm down, no need to freak out. Just a new person._

“Welcome to Luteus, Caulfield!” The beanie girl had a soft voice and stood up to greet her. She held out her hand for Max to shake. “I can’t tell you how surprised I am to have the infamous Caulfield legend in the house. My name is Steph. I’m a third year.”

“Hi,” Max said softly. “Hope I can live up to the legend. I’m afraid I don’t know much about magic like my parents.”

Steph gave Max a confused look. “Your parents? Nah, I’m talking about the stories Price tells! But I don’t think she said anything about you being a wizard!”

Max froze. _Wait. A. Minute. Stories… who…_

“I’m… I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. Who told you stories about-?”

“Attention first mate! It’s your Captain!”

_What._

_No._

_No._

_No. No. No._

Max couldn’t move out of disbelief. Had she made this up? Did she pass out during her sorting? Is she still in bed dreaming? Was she really hearing that voice? _Have I gone mental?_

Max felt a nudge on her shoulder, and she finally turned to see: the tall, lanky, long-hair blonde girl herself. The one she had spent the last weekend with, running around the attic, searching for buried treasure, and holding each other as they cried about leaving for their schools.  

Max could feel tears swelling in her eyes while jumping to squeeze her Captain in a giant hug.

“Chloe!”

_I’m so glad I didn’t run away._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the list of houses everyone is in:
> 
> Max Caulfield - Luteus  
> Chloe Price (No-Maj/Muggle born) - Papvem  
> Rachel Amber (Halfblood) - Papvem  
> Victoria Chase - Baltris  
> Kate Marsh - Scirpius  
> Nathan Prescott (Pureblood) - Baltris  
> Eliot Hampden (Halfblood) - Papvem  
> Steph Gingrich (Halfblood) - Luteus
> 
> Next Chapter: Orientation


	4. Year One: Orientation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Luteus - Pronounced: LU-tee-us - Colors: Green/Gold - Animals: Otter/Deer  
> 2\. Scirpius – Pronounced: SKEER-pee-us - Colors: Yellow/White - Animals: Squirrel/Rabbit  
> 3\. Baltris – Pronounced: Ball-TRIZ - Colors: Red/Silver - Animals: Whale/Shark  
> 4\. Papvem - Pronounced: PAP-vem - Colors: Black/Blue - Animals: Raven/Butterfly

Max is a **wizard.**

 ** _Max_** is a wizard.

**_Max is a wizard._ **

Chloe couldn’t get over it. _Is this for real?_ Even if it wasn’t, she just kept hugging Max: her first mate, best friend, and the one person she couldn’t live without. Chloe had spent the last two years going to this magical, super-preppy school without Max, and it was hell. But now… Now Chloe could do anything.

Chloe noticed Steph giving her a raised eyebrow and smirk _. I should probably stop hugging her though…_

“Hey, hey, enough mushy garbage, you hippie,” Chloe coughed into her hand after backing away from Max. Chloe gave Max the look over and nodded. “Yep, I still say that’s you, I guess. Despite the fact you are a giant **liar**.” She gave Max a giant grin as she ruffled her hair a bit.

“Liar?!?” Max looked startled by the remark, yet smiled all the same. “ **You’re** the one who has been here for the last two years without telling me! You could have brought it up after hearing about my family.”

Chloe frowned from confusion. “Your family? What are you talking about?” She saw Max make a sigh of relief and sit down at the table. Chloe followed suit, really _really_ confused about what was going on.

“Well, mom sat me down and explained it to me,” Max whispered to Chloe to avoid making a scene. “Basically, dad’s side of the family founded Blackwell and mom’s side is a super pureblood going back to Europe.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Chloe shook her head. “You’re a freakin’ Pureblood? How is that possible???” _No freaking way.._. After spending two years getting bullied and pranked on by those douche canoe Purebloods, Chloe was hearing that her tiny, fun best friend was… “I don’t believe this.”

“Shh!!!” Max tried to quiet her down. “I don’t want to make a fuss out of it.” She laid her hand on Chloe’s arm and pulled her close so they were face-to-face. _Woah._

“Dude, do you know how those Pure-blowhards act?” Chloe whispered. She stared up into the ceiling, noticing the dust floating around. “I’m just a speck of dirt to them. Everyone who isn’t anyone is nothing to them… I just can’t believe what I’m hearing right now.”

“Chloe, you know that’s not me,” Max pleaded as she faced Chloe. “They didn’t even tell me till my birthday last year… And I wanted to tell you so bad, but-”

“Yeah, the whole don’t-tell-the-No-Maj-about-magic rule,” Chloe scoffed. She did understand that. It’s not like she hadn’t begged to tell the people she cared about. Max, her mom, her dad… She had pictured how he’d react about a billion times if she could tell him. _“Phew, that’s a doozy, Chlo… But Ol’ Bloody Bill ain’t scared of no wizards!”_ She could hear him laughing while her mom would be pacing around frantically, wondering where she went wrong. 

“Listen,” Max grabbed her by the hand, steering Chloe out of her daydream. “I didn’t want any of this, Chlo. I wanted to spend my days at normal school, with my normal best friend, and live my normal life. And now, maybe I can do that, even with being magical. I just can’t do it without you. So, can you please just look at me as your normal best friend like always?”

“Best friend…” Chloe repeated as she felt her heart beating out of her chest. She stared into Max’s bright, shining blue eyes for what felt like hours. Now, sitting next to Max, Chloe felt something different. Something she never felt with anyone before. Chloe thought how she wanted to feel this way with someone, with Eliot…

Looking at Max as just her ‘normal best friend’ had been something she wasn’t entirely sure she had been doing ‘like always’.

Chloe remembered celebrating her 13th birthday at Black **hell** this past year. The only friends she had to do anything with were Steph and Eliot. Since boys aren’t allowed in the girls’ rooms, it was just Steph and Chloe: hanging out, watching Blade Runner, and reading the birthday cards Chloe got from her family… and Max.

Max had signed it with a heart next to her name, the same way she’d signed cards since they met. When Steph grabbed hold of the card, she teased Chloe about it the rest of the night. _“Oooo Max hearts you! Max hearts you! Please heart me Chloe, heart from Maaaax!”_ The rest of the year, anytime Chloe brought up a Max story, Steph had teased her about it.

And it wasn’t until this very moment that Chloe realized there may be some truth to that…

_Stop acting star-struck and say something, dummy._

“Well, Maximus, the Captain has never been normal and won’t start now!” Chloe pushed herself away from Max to stand up on the table. “I am a pirate wizard and always will be!”

Max started laughing and pulled on Chloe’s robes. “Okay, okay, I get it! Just get down before you get in trouble.”

Chloe plopped from off the table, just in time before a professor yelled at her. She yawned and stretched her arms out atop her head, before rubbing her hand through Max’s hair. “Stop being sappy, Max. We’re best friends, no matter what. Even if you are in a boring-ass house.” Chloe snickered as she saw Max begin to pout.

Chloe heard Steph clear her throat behind her. “Boring-ass house that’s won the House Cup for the last two years, thank you very much,” Steph shook her head and pushed Chloe aside. “Now, get back to that house you ‘heart’ so much.” Chloe felt her face turn red as Steph started to give her a wink. _Dammit, Steph._

“Alright, alright,” Chloe sighed dramatically before giving Max one last playful shove on the shoulder. “You just plan and see me after you’re done with the whole initiation thing, okay?”

Max playfully saluted Chloe. “Roger, Captain Price!”

Chloe returned the salute. “At ease, Caulfield. Now let me leave before I make you walk the plank!” The two grinned, and Chloe waved goodbye while walking back over to the Papvem table. Maybe this year would end up being different. **Dumb** well couldn’t be so bad if Max was there. And, she did have Steph as a friend. _Despite her teasing…_ Chloe wondered how long it would last before that came to bite her in the butt.

“So, you seem to have cheered up.”

Chloe looked up in a daze to see the girl Rachel Amber. _Oops._ Chloe smiled as she sat down next to Rachel. As weird as she was, Rachel could potentially be a great friend. _Someone in this house who’s not a complete dweeb._

“Yeah, a bit.” Chloe looked down in front of her to find a plate full of food: pancakes, eggs, and bacon. This time, with two forks. “What’s this?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Rachel took one of the forks and started playing with it in her hands. “Some call it the most important meal of the day; others just say breakfast... but me?” Rachel took one of Chloe’s hands and stared deeply into her eyes. “I call it… payback.”

“Payback?”

Before Chloe could even register what was going on, the plate of food exploded all over her face. Eggs flew into her hair and nose. The pancakes turned into a cloud of crumbs. Laughter encompassed the entire hall, especially from the Baltris table.

Chloe turned to face Rachel who only had a small smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She was eating the strips of bacon that were left from the plate. “Got some egg on your face.”

“Chloe Price!” She turned to see Ms. Grant, head of Papvem standing behind her. Her face was solemn as she stared at Chloe and Rachel. “Two explosion pranks in one meal? Some might start to see you as repetitive. And I’m guessing you were part of this one, Rachel Amber?”

“Terribly sorry, Ms. Grant,” Rachel sweetly apologized before Chloe could get a word in edgewise. “You see, Chloe thought she’d win in a prank war with me, but I don’t think it will happen again.”

“It certainly will not,” Ms. Grant declared. “I hate to do this to our own house, but I will be taking 20 points from Papvem because of this mess. I expect you to gain those points back by the end of next week.” She walked away from the groan of the entire Papvem table. Pranks were always the reason Papvem came 4th in the House Cup. Mostly because they always were caught.

“Rachel?” Chloe asked while wiping the egg from her face.

“Yes, Chloe,” Rachel cooed.

“You win.”

“I always do – and don’t forget it.”

Chloe playfully gave Rachel a shove before taking the last piece of bacon.

_Yeah, this was going to be a fun year._

* * *

 

After reuniting with Chloe, Max had spent most of breakfast getting to know her fellow House-mates. There weren’t that many compared to the other houses, but it was still full of nice people. Max and Steph had bonded over Chloe, sharing a few stories between the two. Steph also was a bit of a nerd, asking if Max would want to spend some time playing Dungeons and Dragons over the weekend before classes started. Max couldn’t believe how many people were liking her, seeing as making friends was not her strength.

A deep bell tolled in the Main Hall for all to hear. It was then everyone began to gather their things and leave. Max was unsure of where to go.

“Mighty Max!”

A soothing low voice from behind tapped her on the shoulder. Max looked to notice a tall, scrawny older guy, with a few hairs growing into a moustache. He was wearing Luteus robes over a ripped rock-n-roll tee with his hands tucks into his tattered dark jeans. _Is that even allowed?_

“Name’s Skip Matthews,” he said with a small smile. “Prefect for Luteus. Sixth year. Come on, let’s finish orientation so we can party.” Skip waited for Max to stand up from the table and began walking back into the direction of the lobby.

“See you later, Max,” Steph said, giving her a wave goodbye. “We’ll have plenty of time to nerd out later.”

Max nodded happily and followed Skip out the doors. Max felt like it had been so long since she was going through the foyer and lobby. She kept following Skip out the doors, as they took a walk around campus.

The walk was silent, for the most part. Max could be social, but her ‘social’ battery was needing some recharging after this sort of day. She could feel the energy between them: both wanting to talk, but both too nervous about it.

Time felt like it went on for ages before one of them said something.

“Can’t believe Luteus nabbed the Caulfield,” Skip spoke to her while they walked side-by-side on the curvy sidewalk. “Not sure if you know, but you were the talk of the prefects last year.”

“I didn’t think anyone really knew,” Max replied quietly. “Steph and my friend Chloe had no idea I was a pureblood.”

“You’re friends with Price!?” Skip stopped in his steps. That seemed to be the connecting factor they both needed. He grew a smile and pounded Max on the back. _Ow_. “She’s one of the best pranksters Blackwell’s seen in ages. Also, one of the only people here who likes good music.”

Max chuckled while nervously holding onto her elbow. “Yeah, she and I are best friends, we grew up in Arcadia Bay.” Max felt a little tingle in her cheeks, talking about Chloe. “It’s been tough without her, but it seems she’s made a good impression… sort of.”

Skip guffawed before continuing the pace. “Good impression with the people who matter, if you ask me. Anyway, she and Steph wouldn’t know about magical families. It’s an elective once you become a 3rd year, so they wouldn’t know. And I only know about you because, no offense, the older prefects last year wouldn’t shut up about it. Especially Baltris.”

“My mom was in Baltris, so that’s probably why,” Max gave a small smile. It was strange hearing people talk about her family like they were all-powerful gods or something.

“That **is** why,” Skip rolled his eyes before snickering to himself. “I can’t wait to rub it in the other Prefect’s faces. Everyone else said you’d be sorted into Baltris, but I said Luteus. They owe me a hundred bucks.”

“Wait, you all **bet** on me?”

“Ah, we’re here!” Skip announced and waved his arms in front of a tiny shed. “This is where new students receive their wands. Looks like we’re the first house here, so if you get going quickly, we can head to the dorm before anyone else arrives.”

Max sighed at the segue from the conversation, but she admitted she was anxious and excited to get it over with before anyone else showed up.

Max stepped up to the shed while looking back to Skip for any sort of encouragement. However, it seemed he was already pre-occupied, pulling out a cell phone – the first one Max had seen at Blackwell. _I didn’t even know we could have one…_

Skip continued texting with a frown on his face. “You gotta knock on the door, Max-o,” Skip nodded his head up without breaking eye contact from the phone. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting. Only takes a minute or two.” He shifted his weight and resumed giving complete attention to texting.

Max sighed, afraid of what was going to happen. She examined the shed from the front and the sides, making sure there was nothing out of the ordinary. The day had already showed her anything could happen. Max felt a gust of wind breeze on past her, feeling very much like the same wind from her vision during the sorting. _I should talk to Chloe about that. Maybe Victoria, too._ Max figured that both would have different knowledge on the subject.

 _Focus, Max._ She knocked lightly on the shed door.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the door creaked open. The smell of wood chips, dirt, and grass wafted out like a cloud. Only a small bulb dangled from a string above to create enough light to reveal… a man.

The first feature Max noticed was his glasses. Wide lenses with the frame broke on the right temple, they were a pair in desperate need of repair. The man’s beady eyes shifted from looking down at Max to somewhere off in the distance behind her. Max saw the thin beard on his face was patchy, perhaps from a bad shaving incident as she could see a few scrapes. The man also had a slightly receding hairline as the breeze wisped through his salt and pepper hair. He straightened his posture, and Max could hear the crinkle of his simple maintenance uniform. The man was only carrying one thing, a small blue toolbox, which he gripped so tight that Max could see his white knuckles bursting.

“Sorry to bother you, but I’m here for my wand, sir,” Max asked politely and gently. She did feel bad for bothering the man, wondering if Skip had any idea of where he brought her. The prefect was a bit laidback for his position, but Max remembered her mother telling her that things aren’t always as they seem. She remembered that as she stared at the man in the shed. The only sound was the rhythm of her heart growing faster as the silence between the two grew more deafening.

“The squirrels need feeding,” the man said, looking over Max’s shoulders. He took in a deep breath before frowning. “But the birds keep taking the food I leave for them.” He stared down at Max giving her direct eye contact.

_What._

Max turned around for help from Skip -now on the phone talking to someone frantically. _Come on._ Max rolled her eyes briefly before turning back to face the man, trying to figure out exactly how to handle this situation. She remembered her dad always telling her to offer help whenever she could.

“Well, maybe if we leave out enough food for the birds and the squirrels, they’ll both be happy.” Max had no idea what to say. She didn’t know anything about animals, but she was at least willing to help the man feed them.

“What about the deer in the forest who spook easily?” The man’s eye-contact broke, and he went back to looking around Max. There was a sense that he understood elements about the school no one else did. “Or the fish in the pond? Everyone forgets about them.”

“I can help you feed them all,” Max smiled and walked up closer. “I’ll put some feed in the pond for the fish, while you tend to the deer. Then I’ll distract the birds with some food while you feed the squirrels!”

The man responded with a small grin on his face. “Maybe later, Max. Thank you for helping me, though. I’m Samuel.”

Before Max could ask how he knew her name, Samuel opened the toolbox he was holding. He held a serious look on his face before he pulled out something.  

“Here you go, Max - your wand.”

The color shimmered in the sunlight, a bright tan wood, completely smooth. Samuel rotated the wand to show off the handle – black and rough, with a carving of a diamond.

“It’s a rare one, made by the first wandmaker of Blackwell - the last of its kind: 12 inches, made from elder wood with unicorn hair as the core.” As Samuel placed it into Max’s tiny hands, his face was solemn as he stared off into the distance again. The wind created a screeching sound. “The Totem reminds you use it wisely.”

Max swiftly turned. _The Totem?_ She didn’t see anything in the direction Samuel was looking. Her heart was beating a bit faster, her palms getting clammy while holding onto her wand. _How could Samuel know the Totem spoke to me?_ Max needed to talk to someone and soon.

Max looked back for Samuel, but the door to the shed was shut, with Samuel nowhere around. She took a step back and felt a shiver down her spine.

“Cool wand, Max.”

Max jumped and turned to see Skip grinning as he put his phone away. “Sorry I got caught up in Prefect personal business. Word of advice - if you become Prefect, don’t date one.” He began walking away from the shed with Max in tow. 

Max decided to shake off what happened in the shed till later. Just another mystery of Blackwell.

“A prefect? I’m not sure I want to be one,” Max spoked quietly as she followed, still reeling from earlier. “It doesn’t seem like I’d be good at it.”

“Some people say that about me,” Skip smiled softly. “I’m sure you’re thinking that, too.” Max gulped and tried not to look at Skip directly. He chuckled to himself before continuing. “No worries, I thought that about myself before I was one.”

Skip straightened his posture and stopped walking. Max realized there was no more sidewalk to walk on. Before them was a forest of trees as far as the eye could see. They stood tall and shined bright green as the sun from behind glowed upon them. She felt herself get lost in the nature surrounding her, the breeze billowing the branches and the smell of pine and fresh water. The sound of a rippling brook echoed off in the distance. The dazzling sun heating her skin. This felt like a part of campus out of place, yet completely a part.

“I’m No-Maj born, you know.”

Max shook her head and looked at Skip. He had a proud look on his face as he considered the forest himself. “Yeah, and the other prefects are either pureblood or halfblood.”

Skip pulled out his wand from his back pocket. It was skinny and plain looking – chipped wood and faded. He flicked his wand in the direction of the woods as he whispered a phrase that Max couldn’t hear.

As he did, the trees in front of them faded from view, shimmering away

Once they disappeared, Max could see only one thing - a large oak tree. The trunk looked as wide as a football field and as tall as a skyscraper. Max noticed the brook she heard earlier, surrounding the tree, rippling water onto the side.

This was more than just a tree. Max smiled as she saw a door shaped entry at the base and at the top?

_A treehouse…_

Not just an ordinary treehouse like she had in her backyard. The tree itself made the house, with the branches coming together to form the walls and the leaves creating a solid rooftop.

“But as you can see, Max,” Skip smirked as he patted her back. “Things aren’t always as they seem.”  He handed Max her Luteus robe: black with green and gold stripes shimmering on the trim.

As Skip proceeded to walk to the entrance of the dorm, Max sighed and followed, thinking to herself all about the mysterious visions she had been having and the people she had met.

_No kidding…_

* * *

 

People always claimed Baltris was the house of darkness, but Victoria scoffed at that. Like all things, people find evil in what they don’t understand. She knew evil, and it was not limited to a silly house from some school – no matter how prestigious its history. So, Victoria never thought Baltris was a dark house. That was until she stood in her dormitory and realized how **literally** dark it was. _For the house of the rich, you’d think we’d put in more lighting, this is ridiculous._

“Lumos.” Victoria casted the charm to fully see her assigned bedchamber. _Now it’s too bright, but it’s at least something._ Her bag sat on her bed, crinkled from being handled by the incompetent security. Her nose scrunched up thinking about the filth touching her things. _Squibs. Every one of them._  

The room itself wasn’t anything to write home about. _The school must have gone to the dogs since father’s time…_ which he claimed was extraordinary. 

Alexander Chase was part of Baltris during the 70s - a bright student who shined above all others. He was Captain of the Quidditch team 3rd year, made Prefect his 5th, and was the first Head Boy from Baltris in Blackwell history his seventh.

All these were expected results from her. All things she needed to do to uphold the prestige of the Chase family name…

Victoria sighed as she opened her suitcase. With a flick of her wand, her clothes delicately floated toward the closet behind her. The room wasn’t entirely big enough for her taste, but at least she was able to have it to herself. Being the only girl in Baltris this year meant she would not have any roommates.

Victoria huffed as she plopped onto her bed to stare at the ceiling. She absentmindedly fiddled with her wand trying to pass the time. All the other students were going through the remainder of orientation - receiving their wands and robes. Victoria would be alone until that was finished, seeing as her father had given her a wand already and her Baltris robes were in her room when she arrived.

Victoria could tell that living here was going to feel lonely, something she was accustomed to with her father. She’d rather have it that way then have some kiss-up rooming with her. She had thought that Maxine would have been sorted into Baltris. It’s what her father said would happened as well. “ _Her family has done well in Baltris, so you need to be prepared for her. Keep your enemies close, Victoria.”_

Victoria thought about that morning and meeting Maxine. _Max._ The girl who was so naively and blissfully unaware of all around her. The girl who didn’t care how prestigious she was. Victoria had never met anyone like Max in the circle of pureblood families her father kept her in. _Why does father act like this girl will be anything? Why would she -_

A clock in the distant began ringing, most likely from the Baltris common room. A gaggle of guys were laughing from beyond with a few chuckles from the girls. _Orientation must be finished._ It would figure her house wouldn’t have taken long. While the house did have some halfbloods and even No-Maj born, many purebloods brought a family chosen wand when they arrived. There were only two pureblood wizards in the entire school who didn’t. One was Maxine, who seemed too sensitive to establish herself as pureblood elite. The other, shockingly, was Nathan Prescott. _Another person father wants me close with._

Victoria had not interacted with the boy at school yet. She had seen him on the occasions their fathers would meet - having been roommates in school together. Nathan always stood shyly in the corner, staring at her. Their fathers never seemed to care about them at those meetings. They’d always talk briefly, Mr. Prescott would hasten Nathan out, and her father would schedule their next get together. _Why wouldn’t he bring a wand? His dad’s richer than god._

A knock broke her concentration. Victoria realized she had been holed up in her room too long. _“Go and socialize, you worthless girl,”_ said a voice in Victoria’s head. She gripped her wand and walked to greet the knock.

Victoria opened the door to see the Baltris Prefect - Sarah.

“Victoria Chase!” The Prefect cheerfully grinned. “We’re just about to head to the hall for lunch. Care to walk with me? You may have some questions to ask! Shame you didn’t partake of the orientation!” She gave Victoria a happy smile and wink.

_Another kiss-up._

“Thank you, Sarah!” Victoria smiled, using the fake manners father had taught. “It is too bad that I came prepared for the year and couldn’t join! But I can just walk with everyone” she winked sarcastically. “We wouldn’t want people to think you’re playing favorites or anything.” Victoria walked passed the Prefect, who was slightly stunned.

“Right, well, we’ll just be leaving in the next few minutes after I gather everyone else.” Sarah walked away, leaving Victoria to walk down the hallway to the common room of the Baltris dorm.

When she opened the door to the den, Victoria noticed the large group of students. The sound of the room felt like it had been sucked dry as they all stared at her before going to whisper to one another. Based on their facial expressions, Victoria could see their thoughts forming.

_I can’t believe we have the Chase prodigy… Thinks she’s better than us...Is she always so serious…_

Victoria scoffed until she noticed a familiar face in the corner, as she always remembered.

_Nathan…_

Nathan sat in a corner staring at his wand. He was slightly skittish, talking a bit to himself. His robes were still too big on him, his father’s no doubt.

“Nathan?” Victoria tapped him on the shoulder as she sat down next to him. Nathan nearly jumped. Before Victoria could think anything mean, she saw a familiar look in his eye. It was sorrow and rage and fear and.... loneliness.

“What, do you want to tease me too?” He sighed and held up his wand. “I know, I’m the rich kid whose daddy wouldn’t give him a wand.”

Nathan grasped his wand a bit too hard, looking like he’d break it. “But I don’t want you to think you’ll get a pass for being nice to me or think you’ll better yourself by me.” Nathan stood up tall and pointed his wand directly at Victoria. The room of students took a step closer, to watch the scene unfold between the two rich kids their parents had warned them about. Others would miss it, but Victoria saw Nathan’s fingers shake from fear. She could almost hear what he was thinking. Like a prey who is pushed into a corner - _don’t fight me stay away._

“Puh-lease Nate,” Victoria smirked and slapped his shin. “Don’t tell me you forgot about me! You and your dad were visiting the Chase estate last month.”

Victoria could see Nathan’s face recall who she was as he put his wand in his pocket. “Oh. Victoria Chase.” He sat back down slowly and chuckled. “Yeah, should have remembered. But...”

Nathan looked around at the other students who seemed to be staring at both with... _was it adoration or hatred?_ Victoria couldn’t tell. Maybe both. The two prestigious kids would make their house look amazing, even if they were all jealous.

Nathan finally spoke again. “I just want to be left alone.” 

Victoria felt bad for him. She understood what that was like. But she knew that to show weakness wasn’t going to do them any good either. If people knew they could step over the Chase and Prescott heirs, it would just be worse for them back home. She decided it was better to get him to lighten up than comfort. _At least right now in front of everyone._

“Me too,” Victoria snickered. “These kiss ups are annoying.” Victoria hoped that by getting through to Nathan, she’d have someone who would get what it meant being a Pureblood their whole life. And Nathan would understand better than most. He grew up with a father just like Victoria’s, always going on about the honor of the family. He didn’t have his mother growing up either. And despite their fathers’ plans to make them rivals or do something dumb like arrange a marriage or something, Victoria felt Nathan was the only person in Baltris she could like.

Nathan smirked and nodded. “Glad someone gets it.”

“Duh. Wanna lunch together?” She stood up and held out her hand. Nathan stared at it for a moment. Contemplating. Could he trust her? _Can I trust him?_

Before too much time had passed, Nathan flicked her hand away as he stood. He smiled and headed toward the boys’ side of the dorm. “Maybe some other time, Chase. Like I said, I just wanna be alone right now.” 

“Stay in your room, Prescott,” Victoria sighed dramatically.  “I’m not going to tell you what to do. You’re your own person.”

Nathan gave one last look back with a face of gratitude.

“Thanks, Victoria.”

And with that, he opened the door to the boys’ dorm rooms and walked away.

_Maybe it won’t be so lonely after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all readers for giving kudos and comments! 
> 
> List of characters and their houses:  
> Max Caulfield - Luteus (Year 1)  
> Chloe Price - Papvem (Year 3)  
> Rachel Amber - Papvem (Year 3 - Transfer)  
> Victoria Chase - Baltris (Year 1)  
> Kate Marsh - Scirpius (Year 1)  
> Nathan Prescott - Baltris (Year 1)  
> Eliot Hampden - Papvem (Year 5)  
> Steph Gingrich - Luteus (Year 3)
> 
> Skip Matthews (No-Maj/Muggle born) - Luteus (Year 6 Prefect)  
> OC: Sarah (Halfblood) - Baltris (Year 7 Prefect)
> 
> Alexander Chase - Victoria's Father - Baltris
> 
> Head of Houses:  
> Mr. Keaton - Baltris  
> Ms. Grant - Papvem
> 
> Next Chapter: Rivalries Form


	5. Year One: Rivalries

Max spent the rest of the day getting to know her Housemates and unpacking. After an uneventful lunch and afternoon, she stared around the dorm room that she had been assigned. Normally, first and second years are roomed together in groups of four. But there weren’t any other Luteus girl students besides Max this year or the year before.

It was nice still. The room was quiet, small, and quaint. There was a window on the northside of the room with light shining through perfectly. It also had a small ficus plant brushed up against the wall. Living in a tree means living with nature. _Except that plant is totally going to die on my care._

Max sighed and felt around in her bag one last time to make sure she got everything. All seemed to be there and set up. Except there was one last thing in the bag:

A tiny stuffed bear.

_Hands cover my face. The sun is beating down onto my skin as I start laughing. The breath of someone is behind me on my ear. The sound of laughter fills the yard._

_“Let me go Chloe!”_

_“No! It’s a surprise!”_

_I wiggle my way out from her, and she pokes my face. Chloe is grumpy, but in a fake sort of way. I can tell she’s holding something behind her back._

_“I just…” Chloe pauses, kicking the play gravel beneath her feet. Dad had put some in at the base of our sycamore treehouse. A leaf falls from above and lands right on Chloe’s head. “Bah! Look just take this!”_

_She hands me a small box with a blue ribbon. Confused, I try shaking it to see if I can hear what it is. I look at her with a sarcastic smile. “Is this a prank?”_

_“You know, I can be nice sometimes Max!” Chloe pouts but can’t hold it as she starts to grin. She stares at me, but it feels like she’s just looking right through me. “School won’t let me visit, so I wanted to give you something for your birthday now…”_

_“Oh… right…” I feel sad. It’s good Chloe got into that super science school, but she’ll be leaving in 10 days. I feel my eyes start to water. “You… you didn’t have to get me anything.” I feel a tear fall from my face._

_“Don’t cry, Maxi-pad!” Chloe hugs me tight before I start sobbing. “Just open it!”_

_I nod and wipe away the tear. The ribbon falls to the side. I open the box._

_Inside is a small teddy bear._

_“That’s the Acting Captain while I’m gone, okay?” Chloe smiles, avoiding the fact that she’s sad. “I’ll always be with you.” She punches my shoulder. “Don’t forget about me, okay?”_

Max felt a rush inside her head, dropping the bear. _Wowzer... That was two years ago_. Before her 10 th birthday. Before Chloe went to Blackwell. And it felt like she had just relived every second of those moments.

This was turning out to be something she couldn’t ignore. Was there something wrong with her? Was something on the grounds of Blackwell making it so she’d relive the past or hear someone’s thoughts or receive some cryptid message from some ancient wooden statue?

Suddenly, a soft knock broke through Max’s existential crisis.

“C-come in.”

Steph walked through the door, smiling. Max was doing her best to act like nothing was wrong. She hoped that since the two didn’t really know each other, Steph wouldn’t say anything. And maybe if they did know each other better, Max would open up, but…   _I’ve got to tell Chloe._

“Hey, so I’m heading down to the Hall for dinner,” Steph said softly. She wasn’t much of a talker, a quiet person it seemed. _She’s probably just shy till you get to know her._ “I figured we could hang with Price and meet her on the way there, if you like.”

Max nodded and stood up, leaving the teddy Captain behind. She gave him a look before adjusting him to sitting better on the bed. Even though she had the real Captain, the Acting Captain was still important to her. The bear even had an eye patch to better resemble a pirate, only to hide the fact he was missing an eye. From a terrible incident. _I still can’t believe I ate it._

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Max followed Steph as they both left her dorm room.

Steph smirked as they started walking toward the common room. “Yeah, I figured you would.” She chuckled to herself before leaving the dorm hallway.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, just thinking about, um… this character I have in one of my D&D campaigns,” Steph spoke quickly, looking to avoid the subject. “Just an inside joke, don’t worry about it. Let’s get going.”

The common room had a few other students hanging around. It wasn’t mandatory for Houses to all go at the same time for a meal, but most ended up doing so anyway. Max noticed that Skip was lecturing a couple of students, holding onto a pack of what seemed like fireworks. Max felt good about having Skip as their Prefect. He may be laidback, but he did take his job seriously.

The two girls didn’t wait for any of their other Housemates to head to the Main Hall. Max loved her dormitory, though. Living in a tree house was cool. While they walked out of the common room, Max was reminded of one of her favorite features.

A treehouse elevator.

The elevator door was made of what you’d expect it to be in a tree: wood. It slid open to allow Max and Steph to enter. Max spent the time still looking around in amazement. There were little twigs still growing inside on the walls, thin enough to break if touched wrong. She could see tiny buds forming, leaves glowing vibrant with color, and tiny cracks of sunlight creeping out. _Life, uh, finds a way._

Max grinned to herself as the doors shut. She listened as the elevator went down to the base of the tree, grateful for the lack of smooth jazz. She could hear the crinkling of the bark shifting as they took their way down. It wasn’t a long journey, and Max quickly saw the doors open as they made their way outside.  

“Still taken back by the tree, huh?” Steph asked with a smile on her face. The two walked down the path out of the forest. Once they were on the actual school grounds, Steph took her wand from her front pocket and flicked her wrist while whispering to put the enchantment in place.

“It’s still pretty amazing to me,” Max spoke softly. “I wish I could learn the password though.”

“Yeah, rules say first years always need an older student with them,” Steph scoffed. “It’s pretty stupid, but…” She looked around, making sure there was no one around to hear. “We all broke that rule, so you just have to figure it out on your own.”

Max laughed. “I’m not sure I can sleuth by myself. Chloe was always the more mischievous one.”

“Max, our house is known for our curiosity. Snooping’s kind of our thing.” Steph took a second to adjust the beanie on her head before continuing. The girl was only a few inches taller than Max, sporting a brown bob underneath her hat. She wore a simple t-shirt with jeans under her robes with dark, stylish combat boots.

Max shook her head to focus on Steph talking. “Besides, from what Price tells me, you’ll figure it out in no time.” The two were quiet for the rest of the walk. Max didn’t feel the need to talk when she was with Steph. There was some sort of mutual understanding that there didn’t need to be any talking. Max wondered if one the common personality traits for Luteus was being shy. But it didn’t feel awkward with any of them. Maybe Skip for a minute, but Max admitted that hanging out with boys wasn’t something she normally did. However, Max was happy that it seemed hanging around her Housemates wouldn’t be draining.

“Here we are: the Papvem dorm!” Steph announced loudly with her arms wide open. _Apparently doing dramatic big reveals is a common trait for Luteus, too._

Max rolled her eyes playfully to see the two buildings in front of her: a tower and a greenhouse. The tower was only about the height of a house with a curved roof, made of white stone with an opening at the top where birds were resting. To the side was the greenhouse, filled with greenery that made seeing anything inside impossible. _Another enchantment._

“So, does Chloe know we’re coming?” Max asked cheerfully. There was a bench that faced the buildings, which Max decided to take full advantage of. It had been a long day with lots of walking and explanations, and she was a tiny person with no athletic ability whatsoever.

“Yeah, I just texted her,” Steph took the time to also sit on the bench. The summer evening was starting to cool; however, the heat was still unimaginable. “Should be any second.”

Max suddenly noticed that Steph did have a cell phone and was finishing putting it away. “Are cell phones second year things, too?”

Steph gave Max a puzzled look. “No, you can have a cell phone anytime. You just need your parents or guardian to okay it.”

Max groaned and kicked the grass underneath her. Probably another of her mother’s ideas to be a model wizard. _Ugh, she’s so controlling._ “My mom told me I couldn’t have one at school.”

Steph snickered and gave her a playful push. “Sounds like your mom thinks you can’t handle one.”

“Aww, poor lil’ Maxi-pad!”

Max turned to see Chloe sticking her tongue out. Now that she was out of the hall and in the sun, Max was finally able to get a good look at Chloe. It was strange. She had just seen her last weekend, but it seemed like Chloe had gotten taller since then. Standing with her robes open, Max could see her wearing a band shirt from one of the local Arcadia bands. If there was one thing Chloe loved more than pranks, it was jamming to some tunes. Max also noticed her wearing some ripped jeans that just made her look… well, even cooler. _To me, anyway._ And it could have just been the sun, but Max thought Chloe’s strawberry blonde hair was shining brighter than before. With eyes as blue as a summer sky. Blue was such a good color for Chloe.

“Glad you could meet me,” Chloe said with a grin on her face. “Hope Steph didn’t bore you with nerd talk.”

“Nerd talk that you like, dork!” Steph rolled her eyes at Chloe. Max smiled, watching Chloe and Steph go into a conversation about D&D. Max couldn’t help but feel sad. Here was Chloe – a prankster wizard who had spent the last two years with friends outside of Max. She looked happy and thriving. There was always something about Chloe that made people gravitate to her. Chloe was like the sun – full of light and power and shined brighter than anyone Max knew. Since the moment they met, Max was completely blown away by the antics of Chloe Price – the girl who lived on the edge. _No, with Chloe, there is no edge – only living._

“Ground control to Major Max!” Chloe poked Max on the forehead to wake her up from her spacing out. “Let’s get going, I need to get my grub on!”

Max smiled and stood up. _Plenty of time to think about Chloe later. Wait. No. Just talk._ “Sorry, Chlo, you’re right. Let’s get going.”

“Okay, you two, do I need to leave you alone?” Steph said to them with a devilish tone in her voice. Max tried to avoid letting her eyes bug out and glanced at Chloe who had a frown on her face.

“Whatever, let’s get going!”

The three girls began to walk to the Main Hall. There were a few other students coming from different directions, all Max assumed were heading to dinner. She wondered what Victoria was doing. _She did want to talk to me again._ Max also remembered that she promised she’d spend a few minutes with Kate at dinner, too. _I’ll meet with Kate first, then Victoria. Then Chloe about the visions and-_

“You’ve spaced out again, Max!” Chloe gave Max a slight push in the shoulder as they were walking. Luckily, Max caught her footing and didn’t have an embarrassing face plant.

“Sorry. I’ll focus.” Max shook the constant thoughts out of her head. _Everything would get done, everyone would be happy._ “So, tell me how you and Chloe met, Steph.”

“Ha!” Steph let out one loud guffaw while Chloe nearly tripped over her own feet. “We both started taking advanced potions together last year. Chloe’s **boyfriend** messed up a potion, and we both got covered in green slime that stuck us to each other for hours.”

Max felt a pain in her stomach. She tried to avoid looking thrown off.

_Boyfriend?_

_Chloe has a boyfriend?_

_Why didn’t Chloe say that she had_ …

A lump in her throat grew as the words repeated in her mind.

_Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend._

“Eliot is **not** my boyfriend!”

“I was kidding, Price,” Steph smiled. “Anyway, we ended up in the nurse’s office and just spent the time talking about how boys are stupid. And that’s how we became friends.”

“Oh, wowzer,” Max tried chuckling off her weirdness. “At least it ended well with you two.”

Max paused. _Should I ask who he is?_ Was he just a one-time Potions partner? Was he really her boyfriend? A friend? Did Chloe have a crush on him? _You’ll never know unless you ask._

“So, who’s Eliot?” Max asked, attempting to be nonchalant. It wasn’t that she didn’t mind Chloe liking a boy or anything. It’s just… _Why didn’t she tell me?_

Steph chuckled to herself. “It’s her boyfr-”

Chloe scoffed loud enough to cut Steph off. “NO! He’s just a friend in my house – the Prefect this year which is crazy. Anyway, he’s just a friend.” Chloe grew quiet over her explanation. “He was my first friend I had at Blackwell. The only one for the longest time.”

“Only because he likes you,” Steph teased as they walked into the Main Hall together. “He asked you out on a date for tomorrow.”

Max’s heart was beating faster. _He likes her... And… and… I shouldn’t care. She’s my friend, she can date any guy she wants._

“And I said no because I don’t like him like that.” Chloe exclaimed before glancing at Max. They made brief eye contact before Chloe sighed. Max tried to hide that she was internally screaming and dying. Chloe can have friends that are boys. There’s nothing wrong with that. She can like any guy she wants. _Please don’t read my mind, please don’t read my mind._

Chloe sighed and tried whispering so only Max could hear. “I would have told you, Max, if I liked someone like that.” Chloe could always tell when something was wrong. “That’s like BFF 101 – talking about crushes. So, don’t worry.”

“I’m not, don’t worry, I know you would, Chloe,” Max smiled while they all sat down at the corner of the Luteus table. Max tried to understand the look on Steph’s face, but it seemed unclear. _Whatever._ It was time to put this conversation behind them for now. Max knew that there were things Chloe hadn’t told her about. Most likely because she was worried about letting out any magic secrets.

“Alright enough sappy stuff you two,” Steph groaned. “You can spend tomorrow hanging out before classes start and gab all about **boys** and such.”

Chloe shifted awkwardly in her seat, trying to avoid eye contact. “Er, actually, I can’t tomorrow. I’m going to head out to Arcadia Bay.”

Max forgot that Chloe was a third year, and that came with visitation rights to Arcadia Bay. “Are you cereal? I’m so jealous!” Max grinned. She knew Chloe hated some of Max’s lingo, and it made Chloe smile. “What are you planning on doing? Going to Two Whales, I hope.”

“Yeah…” Chloe awkwardly rubbed her elbow and quietly took a sip of some water that had appeared in front of them. _Magic food appearing on the table is still something I can’t get used to._ “Me and one of my new Papvem roommate are going out.”

There was a moment of complete silence at the table. Max wasn’t sure why no one was saying anything. The air in the room felt heavy. The fire in the candles grew hot. The water began to tremble in the cups.

“She’s forgetting to mention I saved her from going out with that creep.”

Everything stopped.

Looking back, Max would have laughed at this initial meeting. She would remember turning around and seeing her.  

The girl with the dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes.

The girl with the feather earring sticking out.

The girl with a sparkle in her eye and a deep secret in her soul.

Max’s smile turned into a flat line. She felt her cheeks grow red, ears grew warm, and hands forming into fists.

This girl seemed older than Max. Taller. Prettier. Better.

And the only reason Max cared about all these things was because of what she noticed next: the scarlet blush growing on Chloe’s face. And the bashful smile lurking under the surface.

And Max had never seen Chloe look like that before.

_She’s never looked at me that way before-_

“Hi, I’m Rachel Amber.”

Time officially felt like it stopped.

Max turned to see Chloe holding a shimmering sparkle in her eye as she continued staring deeply at Rachel. The look was a dagger in Max’s heart. A deep weight grew heavier in the pit of her stomach.

Turning around, Max noticed Rachel, looking like one of those popular pretty girls that Max knew she’d never be. Not in this universe or any other. She was something Max could never be. Someone Chloe…

Max felt her heart drop to the floor. _No, don’t cry, don’t cry._ She couldn’t let anyone see her like this. Not even Chloe. _Especially not Chloe._ Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong. _Don’t think about it, don’t think about it. Stay calm._   

Time started again, and Max smiled, shaking the hand that Rachel had offered.

“Max Caulfield, nice to meet you.”

Max didn’t hear the next few things that were said, nor would she even remember what happened during that time. Too distracted. When the next pause in the conversation happened, she gave some excuse about not feeling well and needing to take a walk. She apologized and quietly excused herself from the table. She quickly sped to the exit door, never feeling like this before.

Once she was outside, the evening breeze was a sharp smack to the face. There weren’t many other students around, except for a couple walking down the lane, holding hands.

And seeing them walking, Max wished it could be her… Her and… But then…

It was in that moment Max realized two things:

She was jealous of Rachel Amber.

And she had a crush on Chloe Price.

* * *

Meals were officially Victoria’s least favorite school activity. Sitting alone at the table, she kept herself close enough to her Housemates to be part of the group, but not close enough where they would talk to her. _Which is completely fine by me._

The afternoon had been spent socializing with her Housemates, learning their names and determining which were worth spending knowing in any capacity. As she suspected, that pool was limited to only Nathan and a few handful of them. There was a third year named Juliet, who was working on writing some sort of school paper. The girl didn’t seem too terrible to deal with, despite her halfblood status.

Victoria sighed and stared at the remnants of her food. Part of her tried to ignore the call to care about blood status. Her father was keen on making sure Victoria knew who to befriend and who to destroy. She thought back to that girl from the morning – Kate. Victoria wanted to think evilly of her, but Kate was almost too pitiful to do so. And besides, there were plenty of No-Maj born in Baltris. Victoria had also met Drew North – an older student who everyone in the House liked. And he was No-Maj born. He was captain of the Quidditch team and made sure to keep other Houses in line in their respect toward Baltris. Plus, he was eyeing to being Prefect, once the current insipid one was out.

That was another thing – many of the pureblood wizards in Baltris were the same. All of them just keep trying to kiss up to Victoria. Even Sarah - _ugh, can’t even remember if that’s her name_ – had spent time droning about her family and talents and why they “should become better acquainted!” _I would rather die._

Not all purebloods were like that.

From where she sat, Victoria could see the Luteus and Papvem tables perfectly. The group of students were shouting more boisterous than normal. She rolled her eyes at the lack of decorum. _Typical rowdy show offs…_

Victoria noticed the one girl she had been thinking about.

Maxine...

And she was laughing… 

_With another girl..._

One wearing Papvem robes. 

The two looked... close. Victoria scoffed at the sight of them both. _How could she have already found someone to be that close with?_ It’s been a day, and Maxine, who knew nothing about the wizarding world until this past year, already had a close friend to bond with. And from another house!

However, looking more closely, Victoria held a sense of pride in herself. There was simply no comparison between her and this... trash girl. The strange girl wasn’t quite put together, wearing a wrinkled robe, disheveled t-shirt, and ratty jeans. _Looks like she pulled everything she’s wearing straight from some goodwill bin._ The dirty blonde hair she sported had split ends. She was in clear need of a makeover of…of everything. _Gross._

And of course, Maxine would be talking to her. The girl was so sensitive that she cried at butterflies… _Butterflies, Papvem house. Ugh, did I just make a pun?_

Victoria felt jealous - _no not jealous_ – Victoria felt… annoyed. Maxine shouldn’t know anyone but Victoria… and Kate, but the point of the matter was the same. Victoria felt another tinge of guilt regarding Kate. She ignored it for the time and focused on Maxine and this ‘friend’ – how it already seemed like Maxine was winning a competition that neither existed or even one Victoria wanted.

Victoria flicked away the last crumb on her plate. It’s not as if Maxine was trying to compete with Victoria. Her parents didn’t tell her anything about anyone, probably for some noble reason. She could just imagine the conversation between Vanessa and Ryan. _“If Maxine doesn’t act like a pureblood, she’ll be accepted better and be viewed as a better wizard, more modest…_ ”. Victoria silently sighed at the idea – wanting Maxine to be the picture-perfect model of a wizard. This way, Maxine would be a better person. The less she knew, the easier it would be to remain ignorant to the history of purebloods.

Thinking of her own family, Victoria’s eyes lit up. This seemed like the perfect time to tear Maxine away from her ‘friend’. Victoria had promised to explain her irrational behavior from earlier. _Why not kill two birds with one stone?...... Did I just make another pun?_ Victoria shifted in her seat about to pardon herself away from her Housemates.

However, Victoria noticed that another girl had walked up to the table where Maxine and others were gathered. There was something off about her, something Victoria couldn’t place. The girl seemed a bit older, but she seemed new to Blackwell. There was also a sense of… _What is it? Ugh, whatever._

It was in that moment, Victoria felt déjà vu. She looked over and saw Rachel and Maxine shaking hands. _Didn’t they just do that?_ Maxine had a strange look on her face. Although, Victoria realized she didn’t known her well enough to distinguish if that was normal or not.

But, it was then that Maxine stood up, waved to the others, and left the table. Victoria watched her briskly walk out of the Main Hall. Perhaps Maxine wasn’t in a good mood. Victoria noticed the rest of table looked confused by the action. The girl in the Papvem robes that seemed close to Maxine looked like she wanted to go and check out things. However, she seemed tied up by everyone else, especially the new girl.

Victoria took a deep breath and realized this may be the best opportunity to talk. She excused herself from her Housemates – keeping up appearances – and strutted out of the Hall. Not much time had passed since Maxine’s departure, so Victoria figured she could catch up.

The evening sky had turned dark since she had entered the building, the sound of crickets and the light of fireflies flickering in view. A warm breeze tickled Victoria’s face as the wind ran through her short, blonde hair. She listened to hear the trampling of feet coming from across the way. Toward the direction of the Luteus dormitory.

Victoria continued following the winding path, and the farther she went, she noticed the forest growing. Typical of the Luteus area of campus. _Nature loving hippies._ It was only a few moments later when she looked to see the short brunette before her, shuffling slowly.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Maxine Caulfield! I thought you’d be tucked away in your room scared to come out.”

The girl was startled and turned around slowly. Victoria noticed Maxine wiped away at her face, trying to hide from the blonde girl. “O-oh, sorry, V-Victoria,” Maxine sniffled before taking a sigh. “You… you wanted to t-t-talk, right?”

Victoria tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She could see that Maxine had been crying, puffing eyelids with tears plastered on her face. An awkward energy filtered between them. Victoria wasn’t sure what to say or do. She thought back to the few friends she had through the years. None of them had ever shown any sign of… emotion before. It wasn’t right for people of her status to do so – it could be used against you. And if her father was here, Victoria would know she would have to further torture and mock, tear someone down further just to prove one’s strength over someone’s moment of weakness.

_But father isn’t here, and it isn’t weak…_ Victoria softly coughed into her hand. “Um, never mind that, what’s with the sad face, Caulfield?” She stepped closer to Maxine, breaking the distance between then and easing the tension. “I saw you leave dinner in a rush from your friends.”

Victoria saw how the mention of the friends created a sad look on Maxine’s face before shifting her weight. “Yeah, um, it’s nothing, Victoria,” she lied terribly. _Merlin, she really is useless, isn’t she?_ “Don’t worry about it.”

Victoria sighed dramatically and walked toward a nearby bench. There was no one around at the time, probably either all stuffing their faces or galivanting in the dorm. She ignored the desire to roll her eyes, a natural reaction to idiocy. “You’re a terrible liar.” Victoria sat down and took notice of the shock on the brunette’s face. “And besides, I’d be a really shitty person if I just talked about all my problems when clearly you’re the one in distress.” Victoria patted the seat next to her. “What’s wrong, Max?”

At the mention of her nickname, Maxine slightly chuckled to herself. “I thought you hated using that name.”

“Yes, but you look so pathetic right now the name fits, okay?” Victoria declared facetiously, giving Maxine’s a slight smirk to let her know it was all in jest. “What did your friend do?”

Maxine kicked at the ground below her and slowly – _the slowest walk ever –_ took her place sitting next to Victoria on the bench. “She didn’t do anything. I did something.”

“Okaaay,” Victoria took a second to continue. _This is going to take a while._ “What did you do?”

Without hesitation, Maxine began crying next to her. Victoria was at a complete loss at what to do. No one had ever cried in front of her. She wasn’t even sure she had cried since… well, for a long while. But here was this girl – a girl from a family that Victoria had heard her father curse for so long. A girl that she had only met twelve hours ago. A girl that didn’t know anything about being a pureblood, despite coming from one of the most prestigious families in the entire wizarding world.

A girl that Victoria realized needed a friend.

_And she’s stuck with me, Merlin, this is awful._

“It’s okay,” Victoria whispered while patting Max on the back. “I’m sorry, I’m… I’m not very good at this. But, it didn’t look like you do anything wrong from where I was sitting.”

“I like Chloe.”

Victoria paused. _Must be her friend._ “Well... you are her friend, so I’d hope-”

“I have a crush on her.”

Victoria’s eyes bugged a little bit and hid it from Max’s view. She didn’t stop patting Max’s back, but just kept trying to think of something, anything, to say. _Say something, you idiot. Say something!_ It wasn’t as if the notion of Max liking a girl was a crazy thing. It wasn’t really anything. Victoria just knew that she was not equipped to handle someone coming out. Yet here she was, on a bench, with a girl who was probably telling someone for the first time that she had a crush.

“And?”

Max shrugged Victoria away from her, standing up from the pure shock and despair of the conversation. “What do you mean? She’s my best friend, and I have a crush on her! I can’t, I mean, I’m a-”

Victoria scoffed and held her hand up. “Stop. Look.” She put her hand down and sighed, needing every second to think of the perfect words to say. “This girl… Chloe? She’s your best friend, right?

“Yes, and I’m so awful for-”

“Stop that, okay?” Victoria emphasized firmly. “First of all, there’s nothing wrong for you having a crush.”

Max sniffled. “But-”

“Ah! Shush.” Victoria lightly grabbed Max’s arm and pulled her back down on the bench. “Look, there’s nothing wrong, okay? So, you like her, big deal.”

“She likes Rachel.”

Victoria sighed, recalling the new girl. Yes, it would make sense for someone to like her. Even from far away, Victoria could see that she was tall, nice-looking, and set to become one of the popular girls. But if Max liked this Chloe girl – _I’m still not even sure why because she looked like punk trash from where I was sitting –_ then…

“Just prove you’re better,” Victoria smirked. “I can help.”

Max looked up at Victoria with tear filled eyes. Tear filled eyes that looked like droplets of the ocean. _Focus._ She watched as Max contemplated the offer, a little wrinkle appearing in between her small, unshapely eyebrows. Victoria could see the curiosity characteristic in Max shine, proving that she was indeed sorted into the right house. She wondered if Max would show any talent from wizardry in their classes. _Focus, Victoria._

“How can you help?” Max questioned with a soft sigh. “Besides, I don’t want to ruin our friendship. She and I have been through too much.”

“Well, you obviously can’t talk to her about this yet,” Victoria pondered. “So, you’ll talk to me about it. And we’ll figure something out.”

Max sighed and turned to face Victoria with a small frown on her face. Sporting a precious deer in front of headlights look, she wiped away the tears and nodded in response. Victoria returned with a small smile, fighting the urge to follow everything her father had taught her about rivalry and hatred and pride. For there was something so preciously… pathetic about Maxine Caulfield that made Victoria feel for her.

Maybe it was the fact that Max never pretended to be something she wasn’t. Maybe it was because no one had talked to Victoria as a person before Max. Maybe it was because she hadn’t smiled since her mother.

Max chuckled while gently giving a shove to Victoria on the shoulder. “Thanks… Tori.”

_On second thought, maybe I should be mean._

Victoria gasped dramatically and held her hand to her chest. “Well, see if I’m ever nice to you again, Lamefield!” She playfully retaliated with a shove on Max’s shoulder.

Max finally laughed whole-heartedly with a wide grin on her face. A smile that could brighten the darkest night. Victoria couldn’t help but laugh along with the small, brunette wizard – the girl she had expected to hate and become bitter rivals with.

She put aside telling Max about her mom. It wasn’t the right time or place. But someday. Soon.

Right now, Victoria just wanted to make sure her friend was happy. That was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the time it took to write this one. Life has been crazy hectic with family emergencies, as well as producing theatrical productions with my theatre troupe. So, this fluffy chapter may reflect my need for a small break.
> 
> Next Chapter: Weekend at Blackwell
> 
> (Following that, classes will begin and we can move onto some more magical content)


End file.
